Compliments  of 

ELROY  HEADLEY, 

N.  J.  House  of  Assembly,  1920. 


0-  ,  I .  io. 

LIBRARY  OF  THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


PRINCETON,  N.  J. 


Presented  by 


CAu+Kor: 


Division 


lection...  .  i.l 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


* 


Copyright  Underwood  and  Underwood 

The  Statue  of  Liberty — Bedloe’s  Island  in  New  York  Harbor. 
Lighted  by  electricity  for  the  first  time  during  the  presidency  of 
Woodrow  Wilson,  1910.  See  page  169. 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAY 


Third  Edition 


,9Y 

ELROY  ''HEADLEY 


PUBLISHED  BY 

ELROY  HEADLEY 


NEWARK,  N.  J. 
1917 


Copyright 

May,  1916— October,  1916— September,  1917 

Elroy  Headley 


DEDICATION 


When  a  people  proclaim  Liberty  they  must  also 
proclaim  Law,  for  laws  are  necessary  to  define  Lib¬ 
erty  and  .all  the  functions  of  Government  are  deriva¬ 
tives  of  definition  and  limitation.  We  need  not  envy 
men  wealth  if  they  have  made  the  nation  a  more 
beautiful  and  more  productive  place  in  which  to  live, 
blotting  out  disease  and  economic  error,  making  the 
deserts  flower  with  fruitage,  and  the  people  indi¬ 
vidually  well  fed,  well  sheltered,  and  well  clothed. 
Learn  the  passions,  the  beliefs,  the  arts,  the  romance, 
and  the  characters  of  men,  for  the  delicate  flowers  of 
passion  can  be  studied,  their  keen  insight  into  the 
affairs  of  men  can  be  transfigured  and  reproduced  in 
our  own  lives,  and  the  genius  of  the  past  grafted  upon 
the  strength  of  the  present.  Mark  Twain  and  Wil¬ 
liam  Shakespeare  provide  enough  humor  and  serious 
thought  to  any  student  who  can  stage  their  idealism, 
to  enthrone  him  in  the  eternal  heart  of  humanity, 
as  they  are  enthroned  in  the  Hall  of  Fame,  because 
they  lived,  felt,  understood,  and  portrayed  for  men 
their  inmost  purposes  with  the  skilful  comprehen¬ 
sion  of  acute  intellectual  power.  The  great  lesson 
for  leading  men  is  to  dedicate  their  lives  to  the  pres¬ 
ervation  of  social  order,  the  lawyer  to  organize  and 
direct  business,  the  merchant  to  contribute  to 
society  a  proper  distribution  of  commodities,  the 


VI 


DEDICATION 


toiler  to  faithfully  perform  every  task,  and  the  doctor 
to  relieve  the  ills  of  humanity,  all  working  together, 
all  for  one  and  each  for  all.  Enthusiasm  need  not 
be  quenched,  nor  the  opportunities  for  genius  re¬ 
stricted,  to  continue  an  impartial  distribution  of  all 
social  obligations.  Established  precedents  must 
never  be  unceremoniously  overturned  but  rather  care¬ 
fully  studied  and  their  lessons  learned. 

History  has  been  re-written  since  the  first  edition 
of  “Patriotic  Essays”  was  introduced  to  the  Ameri¬ 
can  people  and  the  need  of  the  application  of  its 
principles  in  the  daily  routine  of  our  national  life 
has  become  more  and  more  apparent.  Through  the 
columns  of  our  daily  press,  the  call  sounded:  “Ameri¬ 
cans  awake !  ...  Be  prepared  to  defend  Right¬ 

eousness  and  Justice,”  for  unity  in  Patriotism  and 
good-will  in  industrial  relationships  are  essential  to 
our  national  welfare.  The  solution  of  the  con¬ 
troversies  and  strife  among  men,  leading  ultimately 
to  some  form  of  permanent  international  peace,  will 
come  through  the  principles  of  good-will  and  under¬ 
standing  of  the  rights  of  men,  as  are  exemplified  in 
the  fraternal  spirit  of  American  institutions. 

The  application  of  the  American  principles  of 
patriotism,  fair  play,  brotherly  kindness,  and  busi¬ 
ness  good-will,  in  their  relationship  to  the  lives  of 
living  men,  speak  the  success  of  Democracy  to  con¬ 
stantly  diminish  all  inequalities  of  citizens  and  keep 
all  employed  in  useful  service  at  living  wages. 
American  enterprise  has  weathered  all  storms  by  co¬ 
operation  and  organization,  and  the  American  com¬ 
mercial  spirit  is  exemplified  in  fair  dealings,  truthful- 


DEDICATION 


•• 
vu 

ness,  honesty,  and  justice,  revealing  the  throbbing 
heart  of  humanity,  calling  men  to  brotherhood  and 
kindly  service.  To  the  perpetuation  of  the  influence 
of  this  organized  fraternal  Spirit  now  throughout  the 
United  States  and  in  some  future  time  of  universal 
peace,  throughout  the  civilized  world,  this  third 
edition  of  “Patriotic  Essays”  is  respectfully  dedicated 
by  the  Author. 


Elroy  Headley. 


PREFACE 


The  greatest  things  of  life  are  the  thoughts,  the 
memories,  the  ideals  and  inspirations  of  the  world's 
authors,  and  statesmen ;  markings  upon  the  tablets  of 
time  have  built  the  symbolic  temple  of  earth's 
civilizations,  and  ever  the  still  small  voice  is  heard 
above  the  roar  of  the  tempest,  to  calm  fears,  wipe 
away  tears,  and  dispel  enmity  and  oppression  by 
planting  the  beautiful  flowers  of  love  and  brother¬ 
hood  in  every  garden  of  human  life.  The  truly  great 
thinker  is  always  calm  and  deliberate  without  mani¬ 
festation  of  partiality  or  fear  of  the  ultimate  con¬ 
quest  of  truth  over  fallacy.  Wherefore  should  we 
worry,  when  we  have  done  our  little  best;  for  all 
things  are  working  together  for  good,  and  with  every 
warning  we  sound  the  call  for  the  ultimate  triumph 
of  righteousness.  True  we  have  stretched  the 
bounds  of  our  civilization  to  the  uttermost,  but  they 
have  not  broken.  Scientific  management  of  the 
Republic  has  become  a  reality,  and  common  sense 
and  reason  the  cornerstones  for  every  action  of  our 
rulers. 

In  the  future  we  will  conserve  the  qualities  and 
talent  of  our  citizens,  as  well  as  the  resources  of  the 
Country,  strengthen  authority,  and  organize  thrift, 
profiting  from  every  experience  of  the  past  and  es¬ 
tablishing  our  social  structure  upon  sound  theories. 


IX 


PREFACE 


x 

Learn  that  each  individual  life  is  real  and  earnest, 
for  the  education  of  individuals  is  the  fountain  of  the 
character  of  the  men  and  women  of  the  next  genera¬ 
tion.  Every  trend  these  days  is  toward  the  increase 
of  individual  efficiency,  of  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  in  massed  formation,  to  accomplish  great  things 
for  the  Spirit  of  Liberty  among  men,  not  to  make 
each  independent  of  all,  but  to  emphasize  the  duty 
each  owes  to  live  not  unto  himself  alone.  Every 
American  should  be  a  soldier,  broadening  the  mind, 
developing  the  body,  determined  to  enforce  right  and 
protect  against  wrong.  As  Righteousness  is  more 
precious  than  peace  and  honor  than  gold,  Democracy 
looks  forward  to  a  glorious  future,  where  a  universal 
dominion  of  Right  shall  encompass  the  affairs  of  all 
mankind.  With  the  first  and  second  editions  of 
“ Patriotic  Essays”  dedicated  to  “Business  Good¬ 
will,”  hundreds  of  letters  were  received  from  those 
highest  in  authority  in  America,  lauding  the  stand 
for  Fraternalism  and  co-operative  good-will,  elimi¬ 
nating  injustice  from  the  by-ways  of  human  activities, 
and  making  smooth  the  rough  places  in  the  haunts 
of  men.  The  leaders  who  bring  blessings  to  mankind 
are  those  who  teach  men  to  battle  courageously  for 
the  right  with  patience  and  perseverance,  with  confi¬ 
dence  in  the  ultimate  victory  of  mind  over  matter. 
Men  pay  dearly  for  total  abstinence  from  adventure 
and  hazard,  in  a  cramped,  money-making,  unsym¬ 
pathetic  existence,  for  we  are  all  partners  in  this 
great  democratic  nation,  united  in  true  unity  for  the 
profit  and  welfare  of  all.  Our  toleration  of  the  views 
and  opinions  of  each  other  should  be  as  expanding 


PREFACE 


XI 


as  the  heavens’  blue,  that  we  shall  not  judge  each 
other  any  more,  but  each  strive  to  outdo  the  other  in 
service.  There  is  a  higher  patriotism  and  a  broader 
international  purpose  than  the  wrecking  of  empires, 
and  America  now  has  the  opportunity  to  organize 
forces  more  powerful  than  armies  and  navies  and  to 
demand  the  recognition  of  Justice  for  all  nations  in 
their  international  dealings,  without  fear  or  favor, 
and  without  bias  or  reward.  The  Stars  and  Stripes 
forever  stand  to  advance  the  cause  of  humanity,  to 
develop  broadminded,  progressive  toleration,  making 
the  world  safe  for  Democracy  and  eliminating  all 
hatreds  and  elements  of  vice  and  greed  from  the 
relationships  of  men  with  men. 

This  third  edition  of  “Patriotic  Essays”  is  but  an¬ 
other  step  in  the  evolution  of  our  National  thought, 
and  with  thankful  appreciation  of  the  toil  of  those 
who  have  trodden  the  way  before,  plucking  the 
flowers  from  amidst  the  foliage  of  the  acknowledged 
truths  of  our  civilization,  we  struggle  ever  against 
fallacy  and  wrong. 


Elroy  Headley. 


/ 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

The  Philosophy  of  America .  3 

Success  in  the  Making . 19 

Operative  Power . 41 

The  Rule  of  Reason . 48 

The  Lawyer  Statesman . 51 

Wall  Street  and  Legislation . 54 

The  Railroad  Controversy . 59 

The  Federal  State . 65 

Trade  Boards . 69 

Liberty  of  the  Press . 75 

Good  Government  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  89 

The  Big  Brother  Idea . 96 

Our  National  Unity . 99 

National  Defense . 104 

The  Strength  of  Our  Navy . 108 

Beyond  Petty  Politics . 112 

Anecdotes  of  Patriots  of  the  American  Revo¬ 
lution  . 116 

Fear  God  and  Take  Your  Own  Part  .  .  .  124 

Armageddon . 130 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

A  Day  Dream . .  .  .  .  144 

Ye  Olden  Times . 147 

Pacificism . 150 

The  Statue  of  Liberty . 169 

Modern  Justice . 175 

Americans,  Awake! . 210 

World  Power . 261 

The  Realm  of  Reverie . 267 

The  Doom  of  Monarchy . 271 

Individual  Forces . 277 

The  Profit  Margin . 280 

The  Measure  of  Competence . 289 

Civilization . 294 

Social  Legislation . 301 

Government  by  Representation  ....  306 

Our  Business  Democracy . 312 

The  Human  Equation . 320 


INTRODUCTION  ; 

I  am  more  and  more  impressed  with  the  need  of 
“Business  Good- will”  in  this  Republic.  When  we 
consider  that  only  one  business  enterprise  out  of 
ten  meets  success,  admit  that  the  man  who  enters 
upon  an  independent  career  has  nerve,  and  the  man 
who  succeeds  has  both  luck  and  ability.  It  is  an  ele¬ 
ment  of  patriotism  to  reverence  the  successful  busi¬ 
ness  men  of  America,  and  Our  Nation  must  request 
and  heed  the  advice  and  admonitions  of  men  ex¬ 
perienced  in  affairs.  I  do  not  confuse  Producers 
with  the  hordes  of  money  lenders  and  speculators 
who  consider  it  a  business  to  prey  upon  business. 
The  business  men  are  the  great  Captains  of  Industry 
of  America,  the  great  Organizers  and  Common  Car¬ 
riers,  the  manufacturers,  the  farmers  and  masters 
of  commercial  activity.  Let  us  extend  to  every 
such  leader  congratulations  for  business  success,  and 
never  begrudge  the  reward  for  useful  service. 

The  American  spirit  stands  for  the  preservation  of 
our  Free  Institutions,  for  the  advancement  of  indus¬ 
try  and  commerce,  and  for  the  highest  civilization  the 
world  has  ever  known.  Yet  we  should  not  be  over¬ 
confident,  for  every  civilization  has  failed  in  some 
fundamental  quality  which  has  wrought  its  disinte¬ 
gration  and  left  only  its  expression  in  literature  by 
which  to  judge  its  strength  and  shortcomings.  The 


XV 


XVI 


INTRODUCTION 


time  for  the  introduction  of  doctrines  and  rules  of 
conduct  for  administration  has  passed,  but  the  work 
of  solving  many  problems  of  our  social,  civil,  and 
political  organization  is  still  in  progress.  Our  national 
weakness  or  strength  depends  upon  the  public  interest 
in  the  affairs  of  the  day,  and  the  necessity  must  be 
recognized  of  directing  the  efforts  of  all  the  people 
toward  maintaining  the  personal  thrift,  industry, 
and  righteous  conduct  of  every  citizen  of  the  Re¬ 
public. 


> 


i 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 

PROFOUND  truths  in  the  world  of  thought, 
just  as  inventions  in  the  world  of  industry, 
are  discovered  and  defined  through  peculiar, 
individual  experiences,  and  when  once  defined,  im¬ 
mediately  appear  self-evident  to  every  rational  and 
intelligent  mind.  The  Philosophy  of  America  is  a 
new  thought,  turning  away  from  the  insidious 
subtleties  and  fanciful,  flimsy,  dogmatic  discussions 
of  medieval  antagonisms,  to  a  crystallization  of  a 
doctrine  of  the  virtue  of  honest  expression  of  truth, 
and  the  ethical  accomplishment  of  altruistic  deeds. 
Even  here  rites  and  ceremonies  are  not  dismissed 
and  forgotten  for,  by  discarding  these,  we  discard 
teaching  by  the  sense  of  impressions,  and  music, 
art,  poetry,  and  all  accumulations  of  beautiful  expres¬ 
sion  are  part  of  the  world’s  civilization.  No  mind  of 
genius  is  distinctly  original,  but  being  set  on  fire  by 
the  genius  of  other  minds,  there  is  conceived  an  ex¬ 
pression  of  what  was  conceived  theretofore  but  never 
before  expressed.  The  divergence  of  impression 
upon  canvas  from  expression  in  literature  is  simply 
a  matter  of  the  mental  character  and  training  of 
genius.  In  a  narrative  of  events,  we  have  the  drama 

3 


4 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


described  in  chapters,  and  so  impartial  good-will  and 
equality  of  opportunity  for  all  is  the  essence  of  the 
new  American  philosophy  based  upon  intelligent  co¬ 
operation  and  conscientious  justice. 

Prominent  men  in  industries,  professions,  and 
politics  must  be  held  in  tutelage  and  under  protec¬ 
tion,  because  thus  they  are  safer,  more  useful  and 
have  the  fullest  opportunity  for  self-development. 
Often  the  greatest  genius  needs  most  of  all  a  capable 
manager.  An  atmosphere  of  large  opportunity  at¬ 
tracts  natures  of  social  and  political  independence; 
thus  an  aristocracy  of  eminent  and  influential  men 
is  formed,  and  where  wealth  permits  novel  experi¬ 
ences  in  American  family  life,  there  arises  a  high 
degree  of  the  essential  qualities  of  cultured  man¬ 
hood,  which  can  appreciate  sympathy  for  inequality, 
yet  insisting  upon  discipline  and  respect,  realizing 
that  material  power  of  productiveness  is  the  primary 
summum  bonum  of  society  as  far  as  national  affairs 
are  concerned.  The  foundation  of  this  characteriza¬ 
tion  is  to  keep  the  greatest  number  of  physical  work¬ 
ers  possible  in  the  field,  for  there  are  in  every  nation 
large  classes  of  men  who  are  not  engaged  in  pro¬ 
ductive  pursuits,  and  the  fewer  of  these  there  are,  the 
more  fortunate  is  the  people. 

The  history  of  society  shows  that  institutions  and 
habits  change  slowly,  and  broad  movements  in  poli¬ 
tical  life  are  difficult  to  observe  and  more  difficult  to 
define.  But  when  a  people  proclaims  liberty  they 
proclaim  law,  for  laws  define  liberty  and  all  functions 
of  Government  are  functions  of  definition  and  limita¬ 
tion.  The  survival  of  the  fittest  is  a  fundamental 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 


5 


rule  of  evolution,  and  declarations  of  liberty  define 
the  order  of  the  operation  of  society.  Whereas 
every  man  is  entitled  to  all  productions  of  his  labor, 
society  steps  in,  in  the  form  of  law,  and  says,  you  shall 
not  use  your  own  so  as  to  injure  another,  and  as  it 
is  only  the  use  of  property  that  has  any  tangible 
value,  law  actually  is  a  depriving  limiting  force  to 
action.  Then  equity  adds  another  term  to  the  equa¬ 
tion  in  the  command  that  all  persons  shall  use  their 
acquired  property  rights  for  the  best  welfare  of  all 
with  whom  they  come  in  contact.  A  great  conflict 
arises  over  every  application  of  these  extensions  of 
law  and  equity,  and  again  and  again  property  owners 
resist  the  application  of  such  restrictions,  but  it  has 
already  become  a  recognized  rule  in  every  nation, 
where  democratic  principles  have  penetrated,  that 
every  man  has  an  indisputable  right  to  the  use  of  all 
his  personal  powers,  and  the  enjoyment  of  all  the 
fruits  of  his  labors,  to  the  greatest  possible  extent, 
consistent  with  the  highest  welfare  of  all  his  fellow- 
men. 

America  seethes  with  a  bewildering,  racking  un¬ 
rest,  as  the  illusions  of  many  dreams  break,  and 
blindly  competing  races  struggle  in  a  relentless  con¬ 
flict  of  irreconcilable  forces.  Men  speak  in  hushed 
whispers,  of  the  toiling  women  and  children  in 
dangerous  factories,  of  the  man-made  earth  tremors 
which  swallow  the  stout-hearted  youth  of  every  land, 
of  a  new  positive  inventive  spirit,  not  of  experiment, 
not  of  progress,  but  of  necessary  immediate  active 
application  of  force  to  force.  Armed  neutrality  is 
quickly  melded  into  armed  Democracy,  for  seeking 


6 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


inalienable  right,  to  enjoy  the  individualistic  freedom 
of  home  life;  competition  is  discovered  to  be  war, 
and  again  Republicanism  is  forced  to  defend  every 
liberty  against  the  aggression  of  armed  combative 
monarchy.  The  very  vastness  of  the  dissolution  of 
empires  and  peoples  makes  us  pause  and  in  the  silent 
moment  of  thought,  we  are  awakened  to  the  con¬ 
sciousness  of  the  ominous  tread  of  relentless  hosts, 
rushing  to  the  succor  of  free  institutions,  that  they 
may  not  perish,  and  the  hand  of  time  be  again  set 
back  until  men  learn  that  laws  and  governments  are 
made  for  men,  and  not  men  to  be  the  slaves  of  en¬ 
throned  greed.  The  less  government  governs  the 
better;  the  more  it  establishes  order  and  equity, 
the  better;  the  sooner  men  reverence  and  respect  the 
kindred  blood  and  social  soul  of  an  incarnate  human¬ 
ity,  the  better.  Men  have  always  recognized  the 
right  of  revolution,  but  we  have  now  a  new  philosophy 
of  the  inalienable  rights  of  societies  of  men  and  na¬ 
tions,  in  world-wide  property  privilege,  for  if  a  man 
brings  nothing  into  this  world  and  takes  nothing  out, 
how  is  the  world  the  loser;  and  if  he  has  rendered  his 
quota  of  service,  wherefore  is  the  world  not  the 
beneficiary?  Why  do  we  envy  every  man  his  prop¬ 
erty  wealth  if  he  renders  service,  and  wherefore  envy 
national  developments  making  the  world  a  more 
beautiful  and  productive  place  in  which  to  five?  This 
is  the  new  philosophy  of  democracy,  arising  from  the 
terrible,  horrible  maelstrom  of  human  destruction, 
which  has  placed  every  household  of  entire  nations 
in  mourning,  and  in  the  brighter  days  when  the  world 
is  a  safer  place  for  honest  toiling  men,  when  piracy 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 


7 


and  exploitation  shall  cease,  mankind  will  learn  to 
labor  to  live  and  live  to  labor  that  all  their  fellows  be 
freed  from  pestilence  and  penury. 

Bestowing  unearned  favors  is  the  crime  of  business 
in  politics  and  politics  in  business.  There  is  nothing 
humorous  when  a  newspaper  is  paid  for  telling  or  not 
telling  the  truth,  or  when  a  public  service  corporation 
is  compelled  to  buy  what  it  is  entitled  to  or  pays  for 
what  it  is  not  entitled  to.  The  people  are  entitled 
to  know  the  truth  spoken  by  their  organs  of  publicity, 
without  fear,  without  favor  and  without  expectation 
of  reward,  and  likewise  corporations  are  public  ser¬ 
vants  entitled  to  the  utmost  confidence,  assistance, 
and  good-will  which  a  sovereign  people  is  able  to 
bestow  upon  them.  We  waste  natural  resources  by 
retarding  just  improvements,  by  reading  untrue, 
fictitious,  and  vicious  literature,  and  permitting  strong, 
able-bodied  men  to  waste  their  time  in  sinecures. 
Society  must  cling  to  rules  of  law  and  order,  but  we 
have  outgrown  blind,  dishonest  disregard  of  waste  of 
state  treasures,  and  the  big  gambler  as  well  as  the 
little  gambler,  the  big  politician  as  well  as  the  lowliest 
office  seeker,  the  higher  up  and  the  lower  down,  cor¬ 
rupters  of  the  consciences  of  men,  are  all  brought  to 
bar  to  answer  to  the  charge  of  contempt  for  the 
sovereignty  of  the  general  weal  and  welfare  of  the 
commonwealth. 

Nationally  we  are  astounded  at  our  moderation 
and  determinate  confidence  that  not  only  shall  right 
triumph  but  the  impossibility  of  the  return  of  past 
conditions  be  assured.  Our  laws  have  granted  little 
protection  to  an  investor  and  no  protection  at  all  to  a, 


8 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


producer  and  competitor.  We  have  compelled  busi¬ 
ness  corporations  to  found  their  stability  upon  force, 
wealth,  and  power,  instead  of  upon  productive  capac¬ 
ity,  with  no  regulation  of  supply  and  demand  except 
the  destruction  of  weak  competing  firms,  and  the 
control  of  supply  has  therefore  been  the  great  source 
of  power.  Unrestricted  immigration  has  exploited 
our  boundless  resources,  reducing  women  and  children 
to  labor,  while  men  were  unemployed,  and  it  is 
ridiculous  that  labor  has  denied  the  right  of  criminals 
to  engage  in  competing  production,  yet  calling  upon 
the  foreigner  to  lower  prices,  not  perceiving  that  lower 
wages  in  all  lines  must  necessarily  follow.  In  order 
to  bring  order  out  of  the  chaos  of  individualistic 
competition,  to  hold  prices  to  a  reasonable  level,  to 
protect  our  monopolized  natural  resources  from  waste 
and  depletion,  and  solve  the  problems  of  political 
corruption  and  social  extravagance,  we  must  compel 
every  American  youth  and  maiden  to  attend  the 
public  schools  during  some  reasonable  period  with 
the  unexceptionable  aim  and  determination  for  each 
to  learn  to  solve  some  perplexing  difficulty  of  life, 
to  know  useful  service  and  engage  in  active  life  pur¬ 
suits. 

There  is  no  plutocracy  in  America,  and  if  some 
penniless  wizards  have  become  millionaires,  there  is 
no  taint  to  their  wealth  except  that  of  hard  work  and 
honest  toil.  The  business  leaders  of  America  have 
been  without  exception  men  of  sterling  integrity,  else 
they  never  could  have  risen  from  the  ranks,  tram¬ 
melled  by  lesser  baser  men  of  low  degree.  American 
immoderation  simply  defines  modern  financiering 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 


9 


as  an  American  invention,  which  has  arisen  because 
some  device  had  to  be  invented  by  which  to  hold  in 
store  the  increments  of  exported  resources  until  na¬ 
tional  need  and  necessity  demanded  the  return  of  the 
guarded  public  treasures.  The  early  lives  of  our 
millionaires  were  spent  in  accumulating  wealth,  the 
later  years  in  distributing  its  treasures  in  avenues 
of  world-wide  charity,  and  never  yet  has  any  clear 
grounds  for  individual  or  corporation  condemnation 
arisen.  Every  great  quasi-public  corporation  is  con¬ 
trolled  by  an  elective  board  or  group  of  stockholders 
and  every  qualification  of  a  republican  corporate 
government  is  equally  applicable  to  proper  business 
management,  where  hundreds  of  thousands  of  citizens 
can  be  employed  in  useful  and  profitable  labor,  each 
with  his  own  duty  and  responsibility.  Our  giant 
monopolies  actually  are  governed  by  constitutions 
and  by-laws,  operating  as  little  states  within  the 
states,  and  as  we  do  not  fear  wealthy  men  in  the 
states,  or  if  we  fear  them,  as  we  successfully  control 
their  power,  so  the  fear  of  corporate  wealth  is  ground¬ 
less,  for  it  is  neutralized  by  corporate  control.  Let 
every  citizen  be  law  abiding,  casting  the  beam  from 
his  own  eye;  let  every  citizen  be  industrious,  giving 
his  undivided  attention  to  his  personal,  individual 
job,  whence  he  derives  his  livelihood;  let  us  have  less 
unfounded  and  unreasonable  criticism,  and  we  will 
discover  that  we  are  not  attacking  causes  nor  even 
symptoms  of  disease,  but  the  press  has  sought  to 
conform  its  teachings  to  public  opinion  and  the  blind 
have  been  led  by  the  blind. 

If  monopoly  conserves  our  national  resources, 


10 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


increases  efficiency,  encourages  genius,  and  regu¬ 
lates  production  and  distribution,  who  benefits  more 
than  the  nation  at  large,  and  shall  we  measure  by 
any  other  measure  than  the  benefit  received?  Many 
men  are  spending  their  lives  magnifying  business 
frailties,  who  ought  to  be  at  work  solving  admitted 
known  difficulties;  44 genius  run  amuck”  we  may 
label  them,  and  request  their  speedy  return  to  recog¬ 
nized  fields  of  beneficial  activity.  Legislators  know 
that  in  reality  bribery  is  as  rare  as  criminal  theft, 
and  the  betrayal  of  trust  by  responsible  public  ser¬ 
vants  is  as  rare  as  bank  defalcation.  Who  dares 
intimidate  a  Court,  a  juror,  a  legislator,  a  representa¬ 
tive  of  American  free-born  people;  certainly  no  one 
if  the  people  know  it,  and  the  wretched  brood  of 
political  blacklegs  is  purely  imaginary.  The  lobbies 
maintained  by  corporations  in  legislative  halls  are 
almost  entirely  defensive,  to  counteract  inflamed  de¬ 
magogues  and  radicals,  whose  speeches  and  activi¬ 
ties  are  not  the  deeds  of  sane  men.  Every  political 
creed  seeks  legislative  expression,  and  what  is  govern¬ 
ment  but  the  arena  of  the  contention  of  forces  of 
control,  over  local  and  national  action,  where  the  best 
man  wins.  The  business  leaders  are  the  soul  of  na¬ 
tional  industry,  they  feel  the  heart  throb  of  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  trade,  manufacturing  and  commerce,  and  their 
proper  place  is  near  the  helm  of  state  to  guide  affairs 
aright.  There  is  no  reason  for  any  secrecy  about 
matters  of  this  sort,  for  the  plain-spoken,  open-minded 
American  people  must  not  permit  themselves  to  be 
blinded  and  hoodwinked  to  facts,  for  we  demand  and 
will  have  our  individual  and  national  efficiency  second 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 


11 


to  none,  and  all  preferment  of  one  over  another  shall 
be  because  of  virtue,  of  merit,  and  of  capacity  for 
accomplishment.  Let  us  justify  the  survival  of  all 
that  is  good,  pure  and  of  true  report,  think  on  these 
things  and  admit  that  after  all  a  far-seeing  providence 
leads  us  through  paths  of  national  glory  aright  to  do 
honor  to  Republicanism. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  take  a  vow  of  poverty  in 
order  to  be  a  true  American,  and  never  should  a 
statesman  abandon  his  post  because  of  any  tempor¬ 
ary  triumph  of  piratical  business,  nor  surrender  his 
office  to  men  representing  corrupt  influences.  Cor¬ 
rupting  influences  will  exert  power  over  men  seeking 
preferment,  but  the  source  of  corruption  is  never 
business,  although  it  may  be  greed  in  business,  but  as 
a  matter  of  fact  we  believe  it  seldom  to  be  even  that, 
but  consistently  to  originate  in  the  avarice  of  men 
employed  in  unproductive  avenues  of  activity.  Poli¬ 
tics  has  been  a  business,  but  it  should  not  be;  it 
is  statesmanship  and  equally  a  means  of  a  livelihood, 
and  both  of  these  it  should  be.  It  is  right  for  mon¬ 
opolies,  interlinked  by  bonds  of  similarity  of  interest, 
to  combine  for  self-protection  of  their  privileges  and 
rights,  and  the  people  do  not  in  reality  suffer  from 
uniform  fa  r  rates,  because  with  all  the  cumulated, 
combined  influences  of  corporate  ingenuity,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  ten  legislators  out  of  every  ten  are  for 
the  people  every  time,  and  the  corporations  are  con¬ 
trolled  with  the  sole  aim  of  popular  welfare  in  view. 
Look  back  over  American  history  and  show  where 
facts  prove  corporations  control,  or  show  where 
bribery  has  passed  laws  to  ruin  our  institutions.  It 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


12 

cannot  be  shown  and  it  is  not  true.  Let  us  then  tell 
the  truth,  and  give  credit  to  our  great-hearted  self- 
made  captains  of  industry,  that  after  all  is  said, 
they  have  done  well,  and  America,  guided  by  her 
nobleness  of  purpose,  will,  to  the  best  of  her  ability, 
transpose  and  spread  over  the  whole  world  confidence 
in  the  integrity  of  individual  manhood,  free  to  mould 
its  destiny,  untrammelled  by  fear  and  unfettered  by 
avarice  and  greed. 

The  Courts  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
through  successive  generations,  have  successfully 
preserved  all  constitutional  rights  inviolate,  and  with 
liberties  added  but  no  rights  lost,  protect  still  intact 
the  heritage  of  a  free  people.  It  is  fortunate  that  our 
judicial  system  is  extremely  intricate,  working  through 
appeals,  decisions,  and  counter  decisions,  or  we  could 
never  have  preserved  inviolate  all  our  free  institu¬ 
tions  against  popular  upheavals,  for  here  have  struck 
the  strongest  bolts  of  lightning,  and  thunders  rum¬ 
bled  loudest.  The  public  has  been  loath  to  admit 
that  full  individual  privileges  shall  be  enjoyed  by 
corporations,  especially  when  these  corporations  ap¬ 
pear  as  monopolies,  so  that  the  most  successful 
attacks  upon  our  social  freedom  has  come  from 
popular  agitation  to  destroy  legal  monopoly,  not 
realizing  that  competition  is  in  its  very  nature  self¬ 
destructive,  wasteful,  and  disastrous.  Competition 
destroys  profit,  causes  bankruptcies,  and  by  its  harsh 
conscienceless  conduct  of  affairs  encourages  theft, 
blackmail,  and  personal  antagonism.  Moreover, 
there  can  never  be  a  national  control  or  super¬ 
vision  over  competition,  while  over  monopoly  it  is 


13 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 

immediate  and  efficient.  The  second  great  attack 
has  been  continued  against  freedom  of  the  press, 
both  for  definition  and  for  restriction,  but  we  may 
well  believe  the  press  free  from  all  limitations,  except 
possibly  dictatorial  proclamations  in  times  of  actual 
warfare. 

The  good  moral  judgment  of  the  American  people, 
we  have  conclusively  proved,  can  be  relied  upon,  with 
far-sighted  philosophical  consideration,  to  mould  a 
public  opinion  in  every  controversy,  ultimately  to 
disintegrate  every  fallacy.  An  ordinary  business  man 
learns  an  immediate  discrimination,  and  we  can  watch 
him  sift  out  a  morning’s  mail,  throwing  into  the 
waste  paper  basket  unopened,  thousands  of  letters 
on  dogmas,  petitions,  inspirations,  fads,  and  the¬ 
ories,  but  faithfully  preserving  every  trade  suggestion 
and  order.  Every  need  of  every  individual  is  syste¬ 
matically  and  carefully  considered,  scrutinized,  re¬ 
produced  and  satisfied,  if  perchance  some  new  benefit 
to  man  may  be  created,  and  never  in  the  world’s 
history  has  there  ever  been  such  a  stupendous  devel¬ 
opment  from  chaos  into  progress  and  social  order, 
as  in  this  democracy  of  ours.  Every  industrial 
responsibility  is  fulfilled  without  murmur  or  regret, 
business  concentration  has  mended  every  industrial 
evil,  and  in  our  new  commercial  expansion  and 
economic  development  the  immediate  problem  is  to 
give  absolute  and  positive  permanence  to  this  well- 
organized,  healthy  community  service.  Never  before 
in  history  have  contagious  diseases  been  so  blotted 
out,  never  was  society  so  secure,  never  were  men  so 
generally  and  contentedly  employed,  the  deserts  and 


14  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

swamps  flowering  with  fruitage,  industry  and  educa¬ 
tion  equally  effective,  and  the  people  individually 
prosperous,  well  fed,  well  sheltered,  and  well  clothed. 
Our  educational,  artistic,  and  humanitarian  ideals 
have  made  all  the  peoples  of  the  world  clamorous  for 
democracy,  so  that  monarchy  trembles  and  truly 
uneasy  is  every  crowned  head. 

The  tendency  also  of  individual  incomes,  wages, 
and  profits  is  always  to  seek  a  level,  so  that  profits, 
wages,  and  income  should  never  be  used  to  wage  a 
war  against  profit.  There  is  no  economic  satisfac¬ 
tion  in  hoarding  wealth,  and  in  that  sense,  the  vow 
of  poverty  would  benefit  every  toiler,  for  financial 
worries  destroy  efficiency,  and  it  is  natural  for 
people,  as  we  say,  to  live  up  to  their  income,  spend  all, 
and  depend  on  life  insurance,  old  age  pensions,  and 
fraternal  homes  for  years  when  toil  shall  end.  Here 
is  the  field  for  the  practical  expression  of  true  brother¬ 
hood,  that  each  works  and  never  shirks  his  labor,  that 
each  earns  and  spends,  and  that  none  who  have  con¬ 
sistently  labored  shall  suffer  want  and  deprivation. 
Why  should  every  citizen  worry  over  the  control 
of  national  wealth  any  more  than  he  should  worry 
over  the  authority  of  men  elected  to  national  office? 
No  man  can  eat  gold  dollars,  nor  for  that  matter 
dollars  of  silver  or  paper  currency,  and  when  a  man 
has  good  health,  strength,  employment,  food,  shelter, 
clothing,  and  a  glorious  commonwealth  nation  and 
heritage  as  an  American,  let  him  save  if  he  will,  let 
him  lead  if  he  will,  but  let  him  never  complain,  nor 
worry,  nor  listen  to  wild  denunciations  of  all  that  is 
honest,  true,  and  of  good  report  in  this  land  of  ours, 


15 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 

that  contentment,  efficiency,  and  confidence  remain 
still  our  portion. 

Because  legislatures  pass  laws,  they  are  not  neces¬ 
sarily  good  laws,  constitutional  laws,  nor  wise  laws. 
Economic  freedom  is  just  good  old  simple  common 
sense  that  a  contract  is  a  contract,  and  right-minded 
men  are  rightly  bound  by  their  obligations,  except 
as  society  may  charitably  release  them,  and  many 
believe  even  this  charity  ill-advised  in  its  present 
form.  The  industrial  world  is  fascinated  by  its 
creations,  and  conscious  of  its  duty  to  develop  every 
quality  of  initiative  and  genius  rewarding  industry, 
and  discouraging  disobedience,  sloth,  and  irrectitude. 
A  minimum  wage  is  not  an  impossible  national  con¬ 
ception  of  the  just  reward  for  the  individual  industry 
of  a  matured  man,  making  his  honest  living,  and 
requiring  the  representative  quota  of  the  good  things 
of  life  for  himself  and  family.  Add  to  this  Govern¬ 
ment  employment  for  all  necessarily  unemployed 
and  government  supervision  over  the  distribution 
of  employment,  and  can  we  not  cease  to  depend  upon 
immigration  for  unskilled  labor,  for  never  can  we  rely 
upon  imported  labor  to  perform  manual  service  for  a 
free  people.  If  we  are  reaching  points  of  divergence, 
at  least  consider  every  issue  carefully,  weigh  every 
thought,  for  these  are  days  of  new  hopes  that  we  may 
establish  permanently  here  in  America  a  free  Democ¬ 
racy  imbued  with  ideals  of  unity  and  service,  so  en¬ 
trenched  in  the  welfare  of  humanity,  that  its  bonds 
can  never  be  severed  by  disorder  and  discontent. 

The  ideal  society  must  provide  a  continuous  elimi¬ 
nation  of  all  oppression,  insecurity,  inequality,  and 


16 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


misfortune.  No  man  shall  be  wronged,  none  shall 
be  crushed,  and  it  is  better  for  society  to  forgive  and 
reform  than  to  disgrace  and  destroy.  Education 
may  alleviate  discontent,  for  this  evil  arises  from  a 
gross  inherent  ignorance,  in  the  form  where  it  causes 
the  malcontent  to  cease  work  and  attack  society, 
although  the  same  idea  in  another  sense,  is  the  seat 
of  endeavor  to  improve  one’s  condition  and  by  in¬ 
creased  toil  and  thrift  to  rise  to  privilege  and  control. 
Distinction  must  come  from  long  service,  and  special 
reward  is  the  natural  recompense  of  special  service, 
and  where  both  are  recognized,  the  problems  of  the 
relationships  of  men  to  men  should  be  under  a  mini¬ 
mum  strain.  A  big  business  is  the  ruination  of  a 
small  man,  for  the  problems  of  local  customs,  and 
wide  markets  are  no  child’s  play,  and  many  a  leader 
of  industry  oftentimes  wishes  he  could  safely  depend 
upon  a  weekly  pay  envelope.  These  are  the  men  who 
are  forced  to  relinquish  to  others  their  posts  of  obliga¬ 
tion,  to  whom  society  should  be  charitable,  for  hard 
is  the  path  which  leads  to  financial  failure,  and  many 
there  be  that  find  it.  Let  us  not  be  too  quick  to  judge 
the  fallen,  for  they  suffer  all  things  and  endure  all 
things. 

Not  only  our  vast  miraculous  wealth,  but  the 
vastness  of  our  charities  and  expenditures  far  ex¬ 
ceeds  the  highest  estimate  of  our  nearest  competitor. 
Universities,  libraries,  hospitals,  public  schools, 
paved  streets,  parks,  and  magnificent  public  and 
private  buildings  have  been  extravagantly  built  in 
this  as  in  no  other  nation.  There  is  no  national  wealth 
hoarded  or  invested  but  what  the  citizen  at  large  bene- 


17 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  AMERICA 

fits  by,  and  no  child  is  secluded  from  or  denied  every 
advantage  of  free  education.  We  must  now  further 
eliminate  the  line  of  demarkation  between  necessities 
and  luxuries,  between  degrees  of  skilled  labor  and  un¬ 
skilled  labor,  and  the  enjoyment  of  privilege  of  and 
by  both  leaders  and  toilers,  for  the  closer  we  reach  a 
level  of  popular  intelligence  and  impulse,  the  safer 
will  be  our  Democracy.  The  employment  of  men  by 
law  should  eliminate  the  problems  of  employment  of 
women  and  children,  or  at  least  of  married  women 
with  children,  and  children  below  the  age  of  maturity, 
for  we  cannot  as  a  Democracy  ever  hope  to  forbid  to 
free  womanhood,  permanently,  her  entrance  to  any 
field  of  either  mental  or  physical  activity  on  full  and 
complete  terms  of  equality,  except  as  the  necessity 
of  the  preservation  of  our  social  and  family  life  may 
appear  to  require,  for  both  the  need  and  the  benefits 
of  protective  measures  are  questioned  generally 
to-day. 

The  power  of  wealth  will  henceforth  decrease  as  its 
use  and  benefit  increase,  but  as  the  trustees  of 
wealth,  temptations  should  be  removed  equally  from 
the  wealthy  and  the  industrious,  so  that  the  life  of 
the  nation  may  never  be  squandered,  but  all  be  made 
available  for  continual  service.  Destruction  is  al¬ 
ways  a  loss,  never  a  gain,  no  matter  where,  when,  or 
how  it  occurs,  and  he  who  saves  a  cargo  from  destruc¬ 
tion  is  equal  to  him  who  produces  equal  value.  The 
potential  power  of  a  nation  is  its  sum  total  of  wealth, 
and  all  our  forces  of  law,  order,  justice,  truth,  and 
fair  play  are  united  in  one  grand  effort  to  maintain 
in  society  such  organization  as  assures  continuous 


18 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


security  to  this  potential  power.  Violence  is  always 
a  destructive  force.  It  unites  all  opponents,  and  is 
the  weapon  of  the  unintellectual,  who  place  no  value 
upon  conscientious  supporters  of  justice  and  all  that 
is  honest,  right,  fair,  and  true;  and  if  we  can  only 
teach  the  people  knowledge  and  wisdom,  we  need 
never  fear  violence  in  a  democracy,  where  the  word 
of  the  law  is  the  word  of  the  people,  in  a  new  self- 
assertive  authority,  the  philosophy  of  America. 

May  10,  ’17. 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


NOTICING  the  gnarled  trunk  of  a  crooked 
tree,  a  scientist  exclaimed:  “Three  genera¬ 
tions  ago  a  horse  trod  upon  a  little  seedling 
oak.”  Adversity  often  moulds  out  great  men  be¬ 
cause  it  makes  them  think:  they  formulate  plans  to 
stem  the  tide  of  woe,  and  thus  are  driven  to  learn 
self-confidence,  poise,  and  fearlessness.  A  story  is 
told  that  when  John  Jacob  Astor  heard  that  his 
account  against  a  furrier  was  lost  because  the  man 
had  failed,  he  went  down  to  the  closed  store  and 
opened  the  business,  seating  himself  in  the  show 
window  and  watching  the  latest  styles  of  the  passers- 
by.  He  ordered  the  clerks  to  copy  all  patterns  the 
ladies  evidently  preferred,  and  not  only  made  his 
account  good,  but  the  store  soon  won  a  reputation 
for  pleasing  the  public.  As  a  Nation  the  American 
people  are  now  taking  some  serious  thought  upon 
present-day  problems,  discarding  trashy  light  novels 
and  demanding  literature  of  strength,  character,  and 
deeper  thought.  Likewise  in  the  trades  and  profes¬ 
sions  we  find  a  demand  for  standardization  and 
expert  knowledge,  proving  the  trend  toward  special¬ 
ization  and  serious  reflection  upon  life’s  problems. 

Meanwhile  a  broad  sympathy ,  and  world- wide 
charity  is  extending  its  beautiful  harmony  to  every 
people.  In  the  practice  of  law  the  day  of  the  schem- 

19 


20 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ing,  tricky,  money-making  professionalism  is  tempered 
by  consideration  for  the  great  throbbing,  tempted, 
impulsive  heart  of  humanity,  to  guide  men  to  higher 
planes  of  thought,  and  we  measure  the  life  of  every 
man  by  how  he  thinks,  whether  his  thought  is  sup¬ 
pressive  or  expressive,  optimistic  or  pessimistic, 
healthy,  liberal  and  altruistic  or  degenerated,  prej¬ 
udiced,  and  narrow.  The  clergy  are  throwing  aside 
dusty  creeds  and  theological  dogmas,  and  admitting 
that  convictions  are  subject  to  processes  of  evolution 
and  men  develop  by  self-education  and  experience. 
Industry  is  a  much  more  important  lesson  than 
ingenuity.  An  industrious  man  will  succeed  and 
may  develop  ingenuity,  but  a  slothful  man  is  always 
a  failure,  and  if  he  develops  ingenuity  it  will  make 
him  only  the  more  a  menace  to  society.  Sir  Walter 
Scott  trained  his  industry  to  so  high  a  tension  as  to 
produce  a  volume  a  month  and  every  successful, 
self-made  man  reaches  his  success  by  persistent 
practical  application.  The  only  marketable  quality 
of  a  man  is  his  energy,  the  value  of  which  depends 
upon  the  quality  and  quantity,  as  expressed  in  his 
professional  knowledge,  punctuality,  endurance,  skill, 
and  trustworthy  service,  so  we  must  make  the  object 
of  all  education  the  creation  and  preservation  of 
energy  in  the  race.  There  is  no  room  for  self-decep¬ 
tion  in  spelling  success  for  the  measure  thereof  is  the 
measure  of  the  ability  of  accomplishment. 

Many  read  books,  but  few  think  over  them,  ana¬ 
lyze  them,  and  portray  the  mind  of  the  author,  for 
every  book  is  a  picture,  and  how  few  of  us  search  out 
the  inner  thought.  Abraham  Lincoln  took  the  posi- 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


21 


tion  of  postmaster  in  order  to  obtain  the  opportunity 
to  study  men  and  literature,  for  his  education  came 
from  analyzing  books  and  people.  The  foundations 
of  a  structure  require  greater  planning  and  skill  than 
the  superstructure,  and  all  this  is  invisible  and  never 
observed  or  admired  by  the  transient  traveller.  A 
great  statesman  must  first  endure  starvation,  pov¬ 
erty,  disgrace,  terror,  tribulation,  and  error,  and  over¬ 
come  all  these  to  have  a  heart  big  enough  and  broad 
enough  to  feel  for  others.  So  a  great  general  must 
experience  defeat,  privation,  sufferings,  disaster,  ri¬ 
valry,  hatred,  pain,  and  toil  in  the  ranks,  to  know 
his  men,  what  they  can  and  will  endure,  and  how 
they  think  and  serve.  Compare  the  hemlock  upon 
the  exposed  mountain  side,  beaten  by  the  storms, 
with  huge  sturdy  trunk  and  low  expanding  branches, 
to  the  tree  slender  and  weak  in  the  depths  of  a  dense 
forest;  one  stands  alone,  the  other  is  one  of  a  crowd. 
Even  prisons  have  developed  and  given  to  the  world 
the  noble  thoughts  of  aroused  manhood,  as  Luther 
translated  the  Bible  at  Wartburg;  and  both  “Pil¬ 
grim’s  Progress”  and  “Robinson  Crusoe”  were  writ¬ 
ten  to  us  from  the  tombs.  The  French  soldiers  at 
Bayonne  used  up  all  their  ammunition  and  must  have 
surrendered,  had  not  the  tenacious  fighters  tied  their 
swords  to  the  rifles,  renewed  the  fight  and  invented 
the  bayonet,  the  most  invincible  type  of  hand-to-hand 
attack  known.  Yet  there  is  such  a  thing  as  the  ac¬ 
cumulation  or  reincarnation  of  energy,  and  the  great 
statesmen  revive  their  stamina,  their  mental  poise, 
and  shattered  nerves  by  games  of  golf.  Men  must 
study  their  own  beings  just  as  any  machine  is  studied. 


22 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


to  build  up,  use,  and  concentrate  powers  of  thought 
and  action.  Golf  is  therefore  a  proper  part  of  the 
curriculum  of  a  well-balanced  judge.  One  of  the 
greatest  musical  artists  was  advised  to  rest  a  year 
without  any  public  appearance,  but  with  consistent 
practise,  and  all  his  expenses  would  be  paid.  He  re¬ 
tired  for  one  year  and  came  back  with  infinitely  in¬ 
creased  power  to  move  the  hearts  of  men.  So  that 
the  element  of  chance  in  a  life  is  almost  a  negligible 
quantity  and  the  successful  career  is  the  life  well 
planned. 

Men  realize  too  late  that  it  is  possible  to  scatter  and 
divert  all  their  mental  and  physical  resources  into 
various  dissipations,  and  here  the  wealthy  student 
has  the  greatest  handicap,  for  idle  spectators,  and 
flatterers,  friends,  and  relatives,  constantly  waste  his 
time  and  strength  in  gossip  and  trifles.  The  great 
success  of  a  man  is  usually  combined  with  the  sympa¬ 
thetic  co-operation  of  an  indulgent  wife,  who  per¬ 
ceives  the  relation  of  the  conservation  of  energy  and 
time  together  with  the  application  of  hard,  well- 
directed  labor,  to  results.  Just  as  “Ma  Sunday” 
stands  a  powerful  wall  of  protection  to  her  mate,  and 
we  can  study  Lincoln,  Wesley,  and  George  Washing¬ 
ton  through  their  wives  and  their  mothers.  Music 
should  be  either  a  vocation  or  a  recreation;  politics 
either  a  life  work  or  a  duty;  and  gossip,  like  procrasti¬ 
nation,  never  tolerated.  Lafayette  was  a  general  of  the 
French  armies  at  twenty,  while  Gladstone  was  Eng¬ 
land’s  Grand  Old  Man  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  so 
that  man’s  activity  belongs  exclusively  neither  to 
youth,  to  age,  to  sex,  nor  to  station  in  life.  But  there 


23 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 

is  a  characteristic  of  poise  and  stamina  in  every  man, 
which  acts  as  the  ballast  to  steady  the  ship,  or  as  the 
gyroscope  to  maintain  the  uprightness.  This  great 
guardian  power  of  self-assurance,  attracting  friends 
and  terrifying  enemies,  protects  him  from  controversy 
and  detraction,  so  that  every  mental  force  is  con¬ 
centrated  upon  the  accomplishment  of  the  next  step 
of  advancement  toward  the  completion  of  the  ulti¬ 
mate  design.  The  man  who  succeeds  is  the  man  who 
is  willing  to  die  at  his  post  rather  than  desert  duty, 
and  somehow  men  recognize  his  determination,  seem¬ 
ing  barriers  are  easily  torn  down,  and  through  blackest 
clouds  the  light  of  sunshine  pours. 

But  what  makes  a  man  a  hero  is  the  consciousness 
of  being  right,  and  nothing  can  defeat  this  conviction. 
Conscience  makes  cowards  of  all  who  are  wilfully 
wrongdoing,  but  that  same  conscience  makes  men  of 
valor  of  the  righteous.  How  important,  then,  to 
choose  for  a  lifework  primarily  an  agreeable  task 
which  will  make  to  increase  the  sum  total  of  good  in 
the  world.  It  is  better  to  be  a  doorkeeper  in  a  right¬ 
eous  cause  than  a  chieftain  of  evil  forces.  We  are 
surprised  when  we  meet  emperors,  presidents,  sena¬ 
tors,  and  financial  leaders  to  find  all  of  them  just 
ordinary  men,  but  with  one  general  trait,  they  plan 
ahead  and  prepare  in  advance  for  every  contingency 
with  humility  and  wisdom,  and  firm  confidence  in 
their  own  ability  to  use  their  knowledge  and  expe¬ 
rience  effectively  to  solve  every  problem.  Even  in 
dire  distress  there  is  the  same  dogged  confidence  as  a 
rudder  to  the  ship  upon  the  ocean  holds  the  leader 
to  his  course.  “Now  I  must  sell  out  this  show  busi- 


24 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ness,”  said  the  marshall  to  P.  T.  Barnum.  “Then  I 
shall  be  free  by  skill  and  industry  to  introduce  cer¬ 
tain  improvements  I  have  planned  out  and  erect 
even  a  grander  success  upon  the  ruins  of  the  sale.” 
And  he  did.  His  skill,  industry,  and  determination 
to  succeed  won  success  time  and  time  again,  for  to  the 
man  with  strong  and  energetic  body  and  mind  there 
is  no  meaning  to  such  a  word  as  failure,  for  opportuni¬ 
ties  are  always  at  hand  for  strong  hands  to  labor  and 
be  spent  in  useful  activities. 

Every  man  should  purpose  to  have  a  calling  yet  be 
larger  than  his  calling.  Employers  are  looking  for 
men  who  are  able  and  willing  to  work  hard,  conscien¬ 
tiously,  and  obediently,  for  a  steady,  consistent  worker 
always  bests  the  impulsive,  spasmodic,  nervous  in¬ 
dividual  at  both  manual  and  intellectual  labor,  in  the 
long  run.  Common  sense  declares  that  nature  re¬ 
wards  compliance  with  her  laws  of  right  living,  be¬ 
stowing  strength,  happiness,  health,  and  endurance 
upon  the  man  who  studies  his  physical  and  mental 
well  being,  as  the  study  of  the  physical  needs  of  the 
body  is  far  more  important  than  any  other  lesson  in 
common  education.  Crime,  disease,  misery,  despair, 
inefficiency,  and  incompetency  descend  upon  every 
person,  who  either  through  ignorance,  rashness,  or 
carelessness  violates  rules  of  health;  assistance,  advice, 
and  instruction  should  be  meted  out  to  all  unfor¬ 
tunates  who  will  apply  or  whose  infirmities  are 
known.  The  object  of  an  employee  must  be  to  make 
himself  indispensable  to  the  business,  and  his  individ¬ 
ual  effort  will  then  command  merited  attention,  as 
results  are  the  best  recommendation. 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


25 


Some  men  never  can  make  headway  because  of  the 
lack  of  ability  to  control  other  men.  Others  never 
succeed  because  of  their  inability  to  repress  the  desire 
to  irritate  their  fellow  employees  whenever  oppor¬ 
tunity  arises.  These  traits  are  the  results  of  home 
training,  and  in  nearly  every  instance  loose  tongues 
and  a  lack  of  authority  can  be  traced  directly  to  the 
parents.  Spirit  is  something  that  should  never  be 
broken  down,  as  in  training  animals  a  good  trainer 
by  patience  must  overcome  every  difficulty,  and  in 
cases  where  repeated  correction  will  not  remedy  a 
fault  the  training  along  that  particular  line  may  better 
be  discontinued,  unless  there  appear  a  distinct  deter¬ 
mination  to  overcome  the  difficulty,  when  patience 
and  perseverance  may  win  the  day.  There  is  such 
a  thing  as  a  choice  of  vocation,  and  whenever  a  child 
shows  a  special  attraction  toward  literature,  music, 
mechanics,  physical  training,  or  mathematics,  his  taste 
should  be  encouraged,  and  attention  given  to  speciali¬ 
zation  in  education.  George  Washington  at  nineteen 
years  of  age  was  appointed  adjutant  general,  while 
Robert  Browning  wrote  at  the  age  of  twelve,  and  Nel¬ 
son  at  twenty  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  English  fleet.  We 
destroy  the  genius  of  our  people  by  a  system  of  general 
education  which  recognizes  no  latent  talent,  but  com¬ 
pels  all  scholars  to  attain  the  same  general  standards 
regardless  of  taste,  desire,  or  ability.  Think  on  these 
things,  for  we  ask  men  to  be  prepared  to  discharge 
special  duties  in  life,  and  why  may  we  not  train  from 
early  infancy,  those  with  special  talent,  to  follow  their 
mind’s  lead. 

Ambition  is  a  driving  power  which  pitilessly  en- 


26 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

slaves  soul  and  body  until  it  appears  as  if  some 
men  have  sacrificed  health,  honor,  and  even  life  itself 
upon  the  altar  of  fame;  yet  apparently  hard  work 
never  destroys,  but  rather  conquers  and  overcomes 
every  difficulty.  Old  Doctor  Johnson,  after  he  lost 
the  use  of  one  eye,  spent  years  of  labor  under  most 
trying  difficulties  to  produce  the  first  dictionary  of 
the  English  language;  for  twenty  years  Dante,  exiled 
for  life,  workedtupon  his  living  poems,  while  Fannie  J. 
Crosby,  totally  blind,  wrote  her  sweetest  hymns. 
Where  there  is  a  determination  to  succeed  there  is 
no  such  word  as  failure  and  impassable  barriers  are 
easily  broken  down.  Any  fool  can  spend  money,  but 
it  takes  a  very  smart  man  to  earn  it,  and  a  wizard 
to  save  it.  Every  business  is  a  field  for  thought  and 
study.  Courtesy  accomplishes  wonderful  results: 
promptness  and  attention  to  details  win  popular 
approval;  and  original  methods  of  advertising  always 
bring  trade  and  earn  a  reputation.  To  win  is  easy, 
if  every  task  is  well  performed.  To  fail  is  easy,  if  op¬ 
portunities  of  expansion  are  neglected.  Show  faith 
in  your  integrity,  confidence  in  your  fellowmen,  and 
work  with  wits  and  genius ;  love  to  work,  and  a  business 
once  started  soon  runs  itself,  for  nothing  succeeds 
like  success.  Nothing  cheers  men’s  hearts  like  the 
contagious  laughter  of  good  fellowship,  which  adds  a 
glory  to  life,  as  sunshine  after  rain.  The  old  story 
of  ten  attempts  of  the  spider  to  lay  the  foundation 
strand  for  its  web,  before  success  was  achieved,  is 
still  an  example  followed  by  thousands  of  successful 
men:  If  at  first  you  don’t  succeed,  try,  try  again.” 

The  man  who  aims  at  professional  talent,  where  an 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


27 


understanding  of  men  is  essential,  and  likewise  some 
ready  information  for  extemporary  use,  needs  first  of 
all  to  saturate  his  mind  with  the  best  books,  espe¬ 
cially  choosing  the  author  who  most  appeals  to  himself. 
Learn  his  passion,  his  belief,  his  art,  his  romance,  and 
character,  and  memorize  page  upon  page.  Mark 
Twain  and  William  Shakespeare  will  provide  both 
humor  and  serious  thought,  enough  to  make  any 
student  famous,  who  can  rightly  stage  their  idealism. 
When  you  can  copy  great  men,  and  lead  their  lives, 
the  door  to  art  is  open,  yet  how  many  leave  books  of 
inestimable  value  in  the  free  public  library  unsought 
and  unread?  The  delicate  flowers  of  passion  can  be 
copied,  keen  insight  into  the  hearts  of  men  can  be 
imitated,  and  no  author  can  write  within  a  book  a 
lie,  for  his  very  nature  compels  him  in  the  book  to 
write  to  men  his  life,  his  all.  From  their  works  the 
student  can  acquire  precision  of  action,  acuteness  of 
thought,  and  skilful,  comprehensive,  intellectual 
power,  provided  he  patiently  disciplines  his  mind  to 
work  these  valuable  prerogatives  into  his  own  per¬ 
sonality,  for  we  live  to  study  men  in  books,  to  learn 
men  and  the  thoughts  of  men,  that  words  and  phrases 
be  not  tinkling  cymbals,  but  impregnated  with  the 
grand  truths  of  righteousness  and  power. 

Success  begins  when  one’s  personality  is  projected 
into  the  lives  and  business  affairs  of  other  men.  As 
soon  as  a  man  becomes  initiated  into  an  acquaintance 
with  the  idea  of  independent  action  toward  a  de¬ 
finite  end,  no  undertaking  is  too  difficult,  and  every 
powerful  force  at  work  among  men  can  be  measured, 
estimated,  and  the  cause  and  effect  described  and 


£8 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


reckoned  with.  Armed  with  knowledge  and  dis¬ 
criminating  judgment,  it  is  just  as  easy  to  seek  out 
and  accomplish  great  things  as  the  lesser  tasks  of 
life,  with  patience,  humility,  and  perseverance,  al¬ 
though  it  is  true  that  many  must  plod  the  paths  of 
lesser  service  while  a  few  find  the  narrow  way  toward 
the  altitudes  of  thought.  The  law  of  business  is  to 
find  out  what  the  people  need  and  provide  for  them 
that  very  necessity  or  luxury.  There  is  only  a  cer¬ 
tain  balance  of  profit  to  be  divided  and  where  some 
receive  more,  others  must  be  satisfied  with  less. 
Employments  are  limited  in  specified  industries 
and  where  some  are  employed  others  must  seek  out 
other  fields  of  labor.  The  first  necessary  step  toward 
knowledge  is  the  elimination  of  the  suspicion  of  some 
depressing  human  power,  for  the  depressing  power, 
though  human  in  influence,  is  only  the  natural  force 
antagonistic  to  the  forces  of  elevation.  Every  art  of 
man  is  resplendent  with  beauty  and  service;  but  the 
antithesis  of  beauty  is  not  service,  but  vulgar  display, 
the  immoral  power  of  evil;  so  the  antithesis  of  ser¬ 
vice  is  not  beauty,  but  slothful  ignorance  and  waste¬ 
ful  idleness.  All  manner  of  education  from  books, 
from  lectures,  from  experience  and  from  travel 
increases  the  skill,  endurance,  and  unselfishness  of 
the  subject.  Whenever  tendencies  toward  luxurious 
living  are  dispelled  to  make  room  for  productive 
efficiency,  the  subjects  gain  in  houses,  lands,  and 
material  wealth,  and  material  wealth  is  not  to  be 
despised.  With  all  thy  getting,  get  wisdom,  get 
understanding.  Wisdom  is  a  broad  vision  of  the 
affairs  of  mankind  which  comes  neither  from  books 


29 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 

nor  from  study,  but  only  by  judicially  pondering 
over  the  experiences  of  men  with  men  in  the  affairs 
of  men. 

In  our  national  life  what  we  must  strive  for  as  the 
summum  bonum  of  the  ideal  of  the  successful  states¬ 
man  and  citizen  is  the  confidence  of  our  fellowmen, 
the  security  of  life  and  property  of  the  people,  and 
the  omnipresent  good-will  of  all  to  all  in  every  in¬ 
dustrial,  commercial,  and  political  enterprise.  When 
a  mere  citizen  rises  to  this  broader  view  he  is  at  least 
in  embryo  a  statesman,  on  the  first  step  toward  that 
broad  outlook  over  national  affairs  which  connects 
common  men  with  arbitrary  and  self -regulated  power. 
Evil  designs  may  become  the  infatuation  for  de¬ 
ranged  minds  and  whole  nations  and  peoples,  be¬ 
cause  of  prejudice  and  for  lack  of  universality  of 
charity,  may  follow  such  degraded  forces  so  that 
even  governments  may  run  amuck  and  become  ir¬ 
responsible  agencies  of  destruction.  The  reward  of 
irresponsibility  is  always  servitude,  for  either  destruc¬ 
tion  or  control  must  ultimately  follow.  Make  it 
easy  for  men  to  live  right,  to  educate  their  children 
to  thrift  and  right  living,  to  live  peaceably  in  pleasant 
homes,  to  enjoy  labor,  recreation,  society,  and  all  the 
good  things  of  life  in  moderation,  and  we  may 
meld  the  antithesis  of  the  good  and  beautiful  into 
community  service.  Wealth  is  always  a  corrupting 
power  when  it  is  an  enslaving  power.  Our  present 
systems  of  control  over  men  are  costly  in  labor  and 
wasted  hours;  our  methods  of  public  education  are 
costly  in  lack  of  specialization  of  training,  in  the  lack 
of  equipment  for  mental  and  physical  gymnastics 


30 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


and  the  lack  of  instruction  in  homely  and  useful 
pursuits.  We  cannot  afford  to  inherit  opinions  and 
theories,  for  what  are  we  here  for,  unless  to  work  out 
our  own  salvation,  to  think  for  ourselves,  to  experi¬ 
ment,  to  discover  the  truth,  and  create  new  standards 
of  right  living,  which  will  give  to  posterity  better 
mental  and  physical  power. 

Final  success  lies  in  a  sense  of  honor  and  not  in 
social  elevation  nor  accumulated  wealth,  so  that  real 
satisfaction  of  life  is  found  in  the  contented  house¬ 
holds  where  the  men  are  committed  to  organized, 
highly  specialized  activities.  It  is  a  service  to  man¬ 
kind  for  an  individual  to  find  a  niche,  to  occupy  it, 
and  there  labor  conscientiously  among  his  fellow 
toilers  for  fair  commensurate  reward.  The  mental 
faculties  are  not  rent  asunder  by  conflicting  opinions 
as  to  what  is  honest  or  dishonest  gain,  and  what  is 
taxed  or  untaxed  income,  but  peace  reigns  supreme 
where  the  daily  allowance  meets  the  daily  needs. 
Here  we  find  a  distinct  self-denying,  self-sacrificing 
surrender  of  personal  control  of  individual  activity, 
making  often  a  closer  contact  in  the  vital  relations 
of  men,  and  we  may  well  pause  and  ask  whether  there 
is  not  one  form  of  true  personal  success  in  such 
excluded  exclusive  lives,  the  molecules  which  make 
up  our  social  foundations.  Such  lives  are  free  from 
the  problems  of  how  to  invade  the  upper  stratas, 
where  men  fight  death  duels  for  leadership  and  ma¬ 
terial  gain.  Yet  if  ever  the  great  seething,  pulsating 
hordes  of  workers  should  even  for  an  hour  cease  their 
toil  the  land  would  be  enveloped  in  darkness  and 
industry  and  commerce  would  fail.  Here  is  the  in- 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


31 


consistency  of  success,  for  below  tlie  struggling,  clash¬ 
ing,  hating,  blighted  characters  of  powerful  leaders 
we  find  over  earth  a  blanket  of  homely  men,  abound¬ 
ing  in  strength  and  useful  power,  joyful,  courageous, 
unselfish,  and  efficient  toilers,  who  know  neither 
prosperity  nor  adversity,  and  whose  sole  ambition  is 
the  enrichment  of  their  common  life. 

Every  one  has  a  right  to  his  own  opinion,  but  some 
men  acquire  the  ability  to  deal  with  bodies  of  men 
and  with  the  fulfilment  of  human  needs.  What  we 
cannot  understand  has  no  value  for  use  in  our  calling 
of  life,  but  there  is  a  very  high  demand  for  personal 
efficiency,  power,  intelligence,  and  knowledge  made 
upon  those  who  enter  professional  life,  for  their  repu¬ 
tations  must  always  depend  upon  the  confidence 
of  their  fellowmen  in  their  integrity.  These  men 
control  the  controls  over  men,  and  however  well 
they  manipulate  controlling  forces  over  others  the 
destructive  elements  against  which  they  contend 
are  always  the  self -controlling  forces  over  themselves 
and  their  peers.  There  are  moral  stimuli,  humane 
and  legal  restrictions,  spiritual  and  physical  truths, 
which  pervade  their  environment  and  give  stead¬ 
fastness  of  purpose  to  their  combined  activities,  but 
self-control  is  always  a  weakness,  for  there  is  no  power 
above  to  sufficiently  suppress  undue  expansion  when 
mental  compulsion  is  driven  to  the  breaking  point. 
The  editor  must  not  merely  copy  news  but  he  has 
the  responsibility  of  national  thought  constantly 
before  him  to  adjust  facts  both  to  his  own  knowledge 
and  to  popular  opinion.  He  has  a  well-defined  policy 
which  he  must  adjust  to  all  the  several  antagonistic. 


32 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


diametrically  opposed  policies  of  others,  and  to  bring 
correct  results  he  must  use  pages  of  facts,  combined 
with  proper  editorials,  to  formulate  an  apparent 
agreement  with  many  with  whom  he  violently  dis¬ 
agrees.  He  may  attempt  to  mould  public  thought  or 
opinion  but  he  must  never  disagree  therewith  for 
the  word  of  a  nation  is  a  law  unto  the  land.  Yet  what 
a  terrible  responsibility  rests  with  those  who  lead  a 
democracy;  dealing  with  controls  which  must  be 
guided  to  right  control  and  moulding  controlling 
powers  of  public  decision  which  will  be  finally  ex¬ 
pressed  by  a  sovereign  people. 

The  law  is  the  measure  of  past  forces  of  opinion 
and  lawyers  and  statesmen  speculate  in  the  value 
of  vital  decisions  and  common  rules  of  conduct  called 
customs.  The  security  of  life  and  property  depends 
upon  public  confidence  in  future  justice,  and  men 
stand  before  men  to  learn  social  order.  The  greatest 
statesman  is  most  conservative  in  essentials  and 
most  radical  in  justice  and  mercy.  All  these  are  in¬ 
congruities,  yet  the  mind  of  a  lawyer  untempered 
with  mercy  wears  the  crown  of  thorns  of  a  tyrant. 
The  lawyer,  schooled  in  dealing  with  evil  men,  is 
always  more  merciful  and  just  than  the  laymen, 
who  suffers  at  their  hands,  so  that  restrictions  and 
delays  are  not  needed  to  determine  justice  but  to 
insure  mercy.  The  broken  reed  if  not  crushed  may 
be  mended,  and  the  laws  of  business  are  more  hasty 
and  cruel  than  the  rule  of  law.  Those  who  have  been 
to  the  law  for  expected  redress  for  fancied  wrongs 
deny  this;  yet  if  they  give  thought  to  the  moral  value 
of  decisions  which  work  for  co-operation,  peace  of 


33 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 

mind,  and  the  political  and  social  order  of  the  nation, 
under  a  rule  of  ameliorated  reason,  there  will  be  a 
vast  increase  of  sympathy  for  lawyers  and  judges 
who  must  defend  honesty  and  thrift  at  all  times 
against  the  calamities  of  the  perversion  of  jus¬ 
tice. 

These  higher  callings  of  necessity  stumble  when 
the  fascination  of  success  detracts  the  leaders’  atten¬ 
tion  from  the  needs  of  humanity.  When  Napoleon 
stooped  to  worship  his  personal  achievements  he  lost 
his  ability  to  serve  men.  So  great  popular  leaders 
pass  to  oblivion,  seeking  to  entrench  themselves 
in  popular  favor,  and  the  public  fickleness  is  a  by¬ 
word  in  leadership.  Yet  intellectual  forces,  trained 
in  statesmanship,  must  rule  and  there  is  truly  a 
science  of  administration.  We  still  yearn  for  the 
time  when  the  social  order  of  rulers  shall  be  as  the 
social  order  of  the  industrial  world:  free  from  death¬ 
dealing  desecration  of  character  and  scandalous 
attacks  against  the  integrity  and  purposes  of  those 
who  have  sought  authority.  Enthusiasm  need  not 
be  quenched  nor  the  mental  faculties  dimmed,  in 
order  that  mind  may  rule  over  matter,  that  there  may 
be  no  personal  identification  with  decisive  activity 
but  on  the  contrary  an  absolutely  fair  and  impartial 
distribution  of  all  social  obligations.  The  minority 
must  merge  in  the  majority  in  order  to  preserve  a 
unanimity  of  opinion  without  dissension  and  dis¬ 
agreement.  Only  thus  can  Democracy  act  with  the 
precision  and  unified  force  of  autocracy,  to  give  to 
their  leaders  confidence  in  the  security  of  their  favor 
with  their  constituents. 


34 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


The  great  lesson  for  leading  men  to  learn  is  to 
dedicate  themselves  to  social  order.  The  lowly 
worker,  by  his  surrender  to  his  employer,  dedicates 
himself  to  his  task  and  the  social  order  is  richer  for 
every  faithful  toiler  in  factory,  or  professional  service. 
Every  field  for  labor  is  a  field  of  trusteeship,  and  the 
accounting  is  due,  whether  the  duties  are  great  or 
small.  The  skilful  doctor  gives  life  itself  often¬ 
times  to  men,  the  lawyer  makes  and  preserves  busi¬ 
ness,  the  merchant  contributes  to  society  a  proper 
distribution  of  commodities  and  the  teacher  trains 
his  pupils  to  serve  well  and  faithfully.  It  is  a  social 
duty  for  every  man  to  strictly  mind  his  own  business 
and  never  to  make  himself  a  judge  of  that  whereof 
he  has  no  knowledge,  either  of  the  difficulties  arising 
from  conditions  of  service  or  of  relationships  with 
others,  that  he  may  not  be  a  hindrance  or  stumbling- 
block  to  his  fellowmen.  Too  many  rulers  spoil 
Democracy  and  every  man  must  account  for  his 
trusteeship  to  those  above,  and  not  to  those  about 
him,  who  are  concerned  equally  with  duties  and  their 
own  reward,  for  a  moral  consciousness  of  a  successful 
life  can  never  be  denied  the  faithful  servant  nor  the 
just  master.  We  cannot  have  too  many  workers, 
we  must  not  have  too  many  leaders,  and  too  much 
government  is  infinitely  worse  than  liberality  just 
as  unbridled  open  criticism  will  destroy  the  nerve  of 
the  best  general  upon  whom  its  operative  power 
can  be  successfully  focussed.  The  highest  culture 
is  a  culture  of  generosity  and  the  quality  is  shown 
in  a  fair  willingness  to  reverence  every  opinion  of 
another,  and  every  institution  in  which  confidence 


35 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 

is  reposed,  until  error  be  vanquished  and  disappear 
because  of  its  own  inherent  weakness. 

Identify  yourself  with  all  that  is  just  and  right 
and  in  a  certain  sense  the  opinion  of  the  majority 
is  always  right.  The  most  important  step  in  a  suc¬ 
cessful  career  is  to  establish  a  reputation,  and  no  man 
can  begin  too  soon  or  too  early  in  life,  for  this  is  a 
task  of  years,  not  of  days.  The  flower  may  blossom 
forth  in  an  hour,  but  the  bud  has  been  growing  and 
expanding  for  many  months,  and  any  young  man  who 
looks  forward  to  influence  in  his  community  must 
scientifically  cultivate  sympathy  with  all  branches 
of  the  community  stem,  so  that  whenever  and  where- 
ever  he  may  be  called  upon,  he  may  be  able  to  meet 
the  demands  of  the  social  obligation,  and  intelligently, 
courageously,  and  with  unswerving  purpose  uphold 
his  own  personal  righteous  ideals.  The  first 
essential  is  a  knowledge  of  the  thoughts  of  his 
subjects  so  that  he  can  successfully  strive  to  in¬ 
fluence  them  without  apparently  interfering  with 
their  ideals.  The  minute  a  speaker  antagonizes 
an  audience  his  cause  is  lost;  the  minute  he  can 
gain  the  attention  of  an  antagonistic  audience, 
his  personal  cause,  his  control  over  men,  his  popu¬ 
larity  as  a  leader  of  men,  is  achieved.  When  a  man 
of  broad  sympathy  holds  an  audience  silent  and  spell¬ 
bound,  after  having  delivered  his  thrust,  then  is  the 
time  to  draw  a  spectacular  conclusion,  for  he  need 
never  fear  his  ability  to  re-assemble  that  audience, 
whose  respect  and  admiration  he  has  gained.  Do 
you  know  that  there  is,  in  the  final  analysis,  only  one 
righteous  solution  to  every  problem,  judging  all  the 


36 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


circumstances  of  the  case;  and  truly  circumstances 
alter  cases.  And  the  great  democratic,  pulsating, 
national  opinion  which  pervades  the  hearts  of  a 
people,  under  their  peculiar  conditions  of  facts  and 
thought,  is  right  and  truth.  Can  you  alter  the  cir¬ 
cumstances  of  fact  or  alter  conditions  of  thought? 
These  are  problems  for  a  successful  leader,  not  to  fall 
like  a  sledge  hammer  upon  the  ideals  of  men  and 
crush  them  by  despotic  tyranny,  but  win  them  one 
by  one,  audience  by  audience,  thought  by  thought, 
lead  them  on,  and  it  will  be  your  victory.  But  if  you 
attempt  to  drive  them,  the  victory  is  theirs. 

No  man  can  reach  the  full  measure  of  success  who 
wilfully  neglects  every  means  of  social  intercourse  with 
men  of  his  own  calling.  Show  me  a  man  who  never 
attends  a  dinner,  who  despises  the  club,  the  board 
of  trade,  and  the  good  fellowship  of  kindred  minds, 
and  you  see  the  miserly,  niggardly,  non-progressive 
laggard  on  the  shady  side  of  his  profession,  trade,  or 
calling.  Study  the  trials  and  tribulations  of  other 
men,  and  wear  magnifying  glasses  for  pleasure.  Re¬ 
member  every  kindness  from  a  friend  and  every  suc¬ 
cess  achieved  and  new  kindnesses  and  successes 
will  be  your  portion;  but  dote  upon  thoughts  of  in¬ 
justice  and  sufferings  endured  and  new  wrongs 
and  injuries  will  somehow  encompass  the  length  and 
breadth  of  life.  Every  misfortune  can  become  a 
blessing  if  instead  of  harboring  the  depressing  subject 
we  tell  it  to  some  jovial  friend  and  as  you  win  his 
advice  and  sympathy  the  storm  shows  the  rainbow, 
a  blessing  in  disguise,  to  water  the  thirsty  flowers 
of  good  cheer  with  the  dew  of  heaven.  The  mingling 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


37 


of  men  with  men,  rubbing  elbows  and  exchanging 
ideas,  removes  friction  and  misunderstanding,  for  it  is 
always  worry  and  depression  that  undermines  char¬ 
acter,  just  as  friction  will  dull  in  an  instant  the 
sharpest  blade  of  choicest  steel.  Joy  and  pleasure 
make  the  heart  beat  faster  and  whose  heart  beats 
quickest  lives  the  longest.  Get  the  broadening  in¬ 
stinct,  throw  away  stale  conceptions  and  renew  a 
right  spirit  within  the  breast,  by  association  with  the 
best  society  to  which  you  can  gain  admittance. 
Mingle  with  your  peers  and  be  a  leader,  a  vigorous 
shining  light  and  in  brightening  the  lives  of  others 
every  cloud  in  your  own  life  will  be  quickly  dispelled. 
Emulate  the  methods  and  habits  of  successful  men 
wherever  you  discover  them  for  the  same  success 
they  bear  is  yours  for  the  striving.  Ask  and  you  will 
receive,  seek  and  you  will  find,  is  no  idle  promise  for 
success  always  rewards  the  honest  request,  the  earn¬ 
est  seeking,  and  the  persevering  effort. 

The  young  man  passes  from  college  mentally, 
morally,  and  socially  an  infant,  as  far  as  his  advent 
into  the  world  of  money  and  affairs  is  concerned,  and 
his  first  shock  comes  when  he  realizes  the  full  sway 
of  the  rule  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest  in  business  life. 
Money  must  be  gained  and  invested,  and  idealisms 
and  altruistic  motives  never  worry  a  banking  institu¬ 
tion  in  business  life,  but  if  considered  at  all  belong 
to  an  entirely  different  department.  Honesty  in 
business  does  not  include  charity,  and  it  takes  a 
brave  man  to  even  ask  mercy  for  another.  But  how 
can  a  young  man  reach  the  maturity  of  business 
intercourse?  It  must  come  from  the  interpretations 


38 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


of  the  dreams,  inner  thoughts,  and  aspirations  of 
local  and  national  leaders  and  there  is  no  other  road 
to  the  second  step  of  the  ladder  of  higher  recognition. 
Every  man  admires  every  person  who  agrees  with 
himself,  either  in  details  or  conclusions,  and  if  you 
can  not  agree  with  the  conclusion,  at  least  as  far  as 
possible  show  apparent  coincidence  of  ideas  in  detail, 
and  sympathy  for  the  necessary  accepted  usages 
and  customs  of  business  men.  Learn  never  to  con¬ 
demn  established  precedents,  but  rather  study  every 
cause  and  effect  and  learn  the  lesson  of  its  purpose. 
Understand  that  a  seething  democratic  people  is 
more  comparable  to  a  mighty  torrent  rushing  over  a 
broad  shallow  river  bed,  where  in  many  places  high 
and  strong  retaining  walls  have  been  built  to  hold 
the  stream  to  its  course,  and  think  well  before  you 
attempt  to  alter  the  course  of  such  a  stream.  There 
is  a  strange,  solemn,  powerful  roar  to  that  foaming 
torrent  and  woe  to  the  man  whose  craft  leaps  from 
the  hidden  channels.  The  maturity  of  the  business 
man  comes  with  the  knowledge  of  the  innermost 
impulses  of  men  and  few  there  be  who  dare  brave 
the  combat.  The  great  heart  of  a  nation  is  a  crude 
yielding  mass,  but  impenetrable,  except  by  hands 
cunningly  skilled  by  experience,  and  every  enemy 
must  be  tempted  to  expose  his  hidden  forces,  when 
much  that  is  secret  will  be  revealed,  and  again  we 
discover  that  the  guiding  minds  of  industry  are  right, 
and  theories  have  bowed  to  practical  necessity. 

Thus  the  evolution  of  knowledge  brings  the  man 
amazed  and  dumfounded  to  admit  a  cause  to  every 
effect  and  an  effect  from  every  cause.  First  of  all  be 

-Jk 


SUCCESS  IN  THE  MAKING 


39 


true  to  yourself  and  to  others,  acquire  a  sincere  pur¬ 
pose  to  be  right,  in  accordance  with  the  demands  and 
requirements  of  other  men,  discarding  theories  and 
purposes  which  are  at  variance  with  experience,  and 
you  reach  the  vantage  ground  of  useful  service. 
Touch  men,  fondle  their  hearts,  isolate  them  and 
defeat  them,  use  the  point  of  contact  to  quicken 
control  and  influence,  and  be  a  man.  Your  charac¬ 
ter  is  firstly  what  it  is,  and  it  must  be  sincere  and 
true,  and  secondly  what  people  know  you  to  be,  and 
they  must  know  you  to  be  honest,  square,  and  incor¬ 
ruptible.  Never  play  false,  even  to  the  least  of  your 
brethren,  and  never  act  the  trifler,  but  be  a  refreshing 
fountain  of  knowledge,  good  cheer,  and  sympathy  for 
all.  Increase  your  capacity  for  power,  and  speak 
always  with  authority  and  complete  self  assurance. 
Remember  you  are  what  you  make  yourself,  and 
when  nerve,  composure  and  power  fail,  retire  and 
rest  until  the  soul  revives.  It  is  a  supreme  faith 
in  one’s  self  which  draws  the  confidence  of  other  men, 
and  when  you  gain  the  power  of  confidence,  use  it 
with  caution,  and  make  yourself  the  impersonation 
of  the  welfare  of  others.  What  is  your  part  in  the 
affairs  of  men?  To  retain  and  deserve  this  intelligent 
confidence  of  your  fellowmen  in  you,  moulding  your 
own  theories  to  their  ideals,  in  order  to  gain  a  better 
understanding  of  the  heart  throbs  of  the  community, 
the  state,  the  nation,  wherein  you  hold  citizenship. 
The  narrow  minded  man  of  small  calibre  can  not 
count  the  pulse  beats  of  a  world  longing  for  light, 
and  dashes  his  influence  to  pieces  upon  the  rocky 
shores  of  conflict.  But  the  great  man  appreciates 


40 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

and  reads  wisdom  and  knowledge  from  the  lives  of 
till  men,  and  admits  that  all  may  enjoy  God-given 
freedom  of  thought  and  conviction,  each  as  an  in¬ 
dividual,  and  that  as  vanish  the  restrictions  upon  the 
personal  equation,  there  arises  the  permanent  forces 
°f  political  independence,  which  make  the  rights  of 
all  toiling  men  equally  to  enjoy  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pin  suit  of  happiness  a  complete  and  universal 
reality.  Success  is  not  measured  by  station,  not 
measured  by  gold,  not  measured  even  in  terms  of  the 
praise  and  approval  of  men,  but  in  the  still  small 
voice  of  conscience  from  within,  which  tells  us  we 
have  played  veil  our  part,  and  the  cause  of  humanity 
has  been  supported  by  our  weak  efforts,  for  the 

advancement  of  the  race,  toward  the  temple  of  true 
and  right  living. 


OPERATIVE  POWER 


POLITICAL  Liberty  is  me  essence  of  that  form 
of  government  by  popular  representation 
which  we  call  a  Republic,  while  Monarchy  is 
based  upon  the  repression  of  self  government  and  self 
development  by  and  among  the  people.  But  equally 
in  a  republic  as  wTell  as  in  a  monarchy,  operative 
power  is  a  necessary  element  of  government,  whether 
or  not  such  power  be  derived  from  and  given  with  the 
consent  of  the  governed  or  not.  Restraint  of  popu¬ 
lar  opinion  and  constructive  industrial  growth  is  a 
cause  of  revolution  where  expansion  of  fields  of  oc¬ 
cupation  are  necessary  for  crowded  populations,  but 
where  no  such  influences  are  acting  upon  national 
objectives,  restraint  of  radical  changes  is  a  protec¬ 
tion  against  political  upheavals. 

Social  relationships  are  adapted  to  the  peculiar 
existing  circumstances  of  the  citizenship  at  large,  and 
cannot  be  readily  or  quickly  changed,  or  rather  in 
personal  application,  can  not  be  changed  at  all, 
except  by  training  and  educating  a  new  generation 
to  live  under  and  adapt  itself  to  other  ideals  and 
habits,  and  even  under  the  most  intensive  education 
only  a  partial  change  is  noticeable.  Rulers  must 
respect  the  traditions,  habits,  and  social  standing  of 
their  subjects,  for  reformers  seldom  reform,  and  new 
theories  seldom  have  any  consistent  or  permanent 

41 


42 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


following.  Judges,  therefore,  temper  every  decision 
with  compromise  and  patient  consideration  of  the 
environment  and  habits  of  every  criminal,  for  what  is 
just  retribution  upon  one  malfeasant  may  be  injus¬ 
tice  to  another.  Law  making  is  conservative,  so  as 
to  constantly  preserve  a  consistency  between  the 
past  and  the  present,  and  although  idealists  and 
reformers  fret  and  fume,  precedents  are  followed, 
and  men  seek  the  same  safe  and  sane  paths  of  reason 
their  forefathers  trod  and  refuse  to  leave  the 
beaten  and  known  paths  of  slow  evolutionary  pro¬ 
gress. 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  we  find  the  operative 
powers  of  successful  government  are  always  repres¬ 
sive  in  a  republic  as  well  as  in  a  monarchy,  the  dif¬ 
ference  being  that  in  a  republic  they  are  repressive 
but  progressive,  while  in  a  monarchy  they  are  either 
repressive  only,  or  else  repressive  of  popular  power,  to 
organize  the  monopolistic  authority  of  some  military 
ruling  dynasty.  Modern  politicians  cannot  see  why 
every  reform  can  not  be  ushered  into  practical  opera¬ 
tion  by  statutory  law,  but  to  the  judge  dealing  with 
men  under  laws,  the  revolutionary  results  of  rapid 
radical  evolutions  are  very  apparent,  and  the  reform 
is  retarded,  until  vested  capital  and  human  habits 
gradually  accustom  and  adapt  their  requirements  to 
the  proposed  altered  conditions  and  circumstances. 
Hasty  radical  legislation  almost  invariably  works 
intense  hardship  upon  many,  which  hardships  must 
be  ameliorated,  and  no  matter  how  desirable  the 
ultimate  results  of  the  reformation  may  be,  time 
alone  can  heal  the  wounds  and  soften  the  bitter 


OPERATIVE  POWER 


43 


feelings  of  men  driven  by  force  to  deprivation  of  their 
social  and  physical  needs.  Revolutions  always  pro¬ 
ceed  from  the  people,  and  gradual  growth  and  educa¬ 
tion  of  the  entire  population  to  new  ideals  is  the  true 
method  of  reform,  so  that  all  social  reformers  should 
be  teachers  of  men,  until  the  bulk  of  the  people 
voluntarily  adopt  the  reform. 

The  operative  power  of  government,  even  in  a 
republic,  must  be  entirely  separate  from  the  people, 
so  as  to  be  able  to  make  and  enforce  laws,  which  shall 
be  the  supreme  law  of  the  land,  that  their  restraint 
be  not  laid  more  heavily  upon  some  sections  of  the 
realm,  and  other  sections  be  slighted.  Therefore 
an  Executive  head  is  a  primary  requirement,  with 
recognized  authority  to  rule  and  exact  obedience, 
which  is  just  as  essential  to  good  government  under 
republican  institutions  as  under  a  monarchy,  the 
difference  being  that  in  one  case  the  people  voluntar¬ 
ily  submit,  and  in  the  other  submission  is  enforced 
by  compulsion.  As  this  head  of  the  function  of 
operative  power  in  a  republic  needs  assistants 
in  full  sympathy  with  his  aims  and  plans,  he  is  al¬ 
lowed  to  choose  a  cabinet,  to  lead  the  various  depart¬ 
ments  of  State,  each  cabinet  officer  acting  as  his 
personal  representative  in  his  department.  Whether 
in  a  republic  or  in  a  monarchy  these  ministers  must 
be  a  unit  both  in  thought  and  in  policy  under  the 
command  of  the  President  or  monarch,  acting  really 
as  private  secretaries  or  lieutenants  to  aid  in  the 
administrative  success.  Therefore  as  the  administra¬ 
tive  cannot  be  called  upon  to  resign,  if  a  minister 
or  cabinet  member  becomes  out  of  sympathy  with 


44 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


administrative  ideals,  the  duty  is  imposed  upon  him 
to  resign  and  never  to  obstruct  and  hinder  the  ad¬ 
ministration.  The  cabinet  officers  are  not  controlling 
powers,  but  advisory  assistants  to  a  central  authority, 
and  there  must  be  perfect  intimacy  and  understand¬ 
ing  between  all  units  of  the  operative  power  of  gov¬ 
ernment,  for  whatever  its  form,  government  is 
applied  power  upon  the  governed,  and  the  respect 
and  obedience  of  the  governed  must  be  maintained, 
so  that  the  central  controlling  power  shall  never 
lose  prestige  nor  lack  authority  and  respect.  Repre¬ 
sentative  or  Republican  Government  is  in  the  final 
analysis  a  government  by  majority  rule,  and  the 
power  to  enforce  authority  must  ever  be  the  essential 
operative  power.  Also  we  must  consider  the  duty 
of  the  minority  to  respect  and  be  obedient  and  sub¬ 
servient  to  the  will  of  the  majority.  Often  in  a 
republic  we  find  men  of  the  highest  standing  and 
reputation  for  patriotism  chaffing  in  impotent  im¬ 
patience,  because  demanded  reforms  are  not  im¬ 
mediately  imposed  upon  the  people,  or  because  laws 
destructive  of  vested  rights  in  property  and  choses 
in  action  are  not  strictly  and  harshly  enforced.  Well 
intentioned  men  fail  to  see  the  injustice  of  suddenly 
altering  our  social  propaganda,  and  they,  representing 
the  minority,  rage  and  scold  at  what  they  deem  eva¬ 
sion  of  moral  law,  failing  to  realize  the  necessity  of 
the  slow  evolution  of  the  change  of  popular  thought 
and  habit.  Other  minority  representatives,  politi¬ 
cians,  and  promoters  rant  and  criticize  the  adminis¬ 
trations  because  their  pet  schemes  are  pigeon-holed 
by  committees  without  recognition.  All  of  these 


OPERATIVE  POWER 


45 


forms  of  insubordination  on  the  part  of  minority 
bodies  are  joint  evils,  and  their  suppression  is  essential 
to  the  successful  continuance  of  operative  power. 
No  revolutionary  changes  in  an  established  democ¬ 
racy  are  advisable,  for  nothing  is  lost  by  a  gradual 
growth  of  our  free  institutions,  and  we  can  not  afford 
the  risk  of  making  blunders  by  too  hasty  legislation 
in  untried  fields.  We  can  easily  change  laws,  but 
we  cannot  change  national  characteristics,  traditions, 
or  habits,  to  which  all  our  present  statutory  law 
and  constitution  conforms,  and  which  the  operative 
power  of  government  must  recognize  and  respect. 
In  a  republic  not  only  are  the  people  the  state,  but  in 
as  much  as  their  representatives  in  the  government 
stand  in  their  stead,  they  are  also  the  operative  power 
of  the  state,  which  exists  in  a  democratic  common¬ 
wealth  only  for  the  purpose  of  advancing  the  welfare 
of  all.  The  minority  therefore  should  always  look 
upon  the  operative  power  as  a  friendly  ally,  doing  all 
in  its  power  for  their  benefit,  and  to  the  will  of  the 
majority  pledge  their  allegiance,  that  no  insubordi¬ 
nation  or  division  of  authority  shall  ever  be  recognized 
or  arise. 

And  finally  this  operative  power  of  government 
must  always  maintain  and  insist  upon  good-will 
toward  all  business  industry  and  vested  interests. 
The  highest  duty  of  every  citizen  is  to  discountenance 
and  repress  anarchy  and  socialistic  revolution.  By 
disobedience  to  authority  we  dissipate  the  benefits 
of  the  service  of  the  best  and  brightest  minds  of  the 
community,  elected  and  chosen  to  rule,  and  we  can 
not  afford  to  destroy  and  negative  the  fruits  of 


46  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

K  / 

genius,  no  more  than  we  can  afford  to  criminally 
destroy  property  and  vested  interests.  It  is  the 
prerogative  of  law  to  protect  property  rights,  and  the 
function  of  operative  power  in  government  is  to 
enforce  law.  How  important  it  is  then  in  a  democ- 
racy,  that  we  respect  and  obey  our  leaders,  and  admit 
that  every  man  has  a  right  to  decide  every  question 
according  to  the  dictation  of  his  own  conscience. 
We  cannot  all  always  think  alike,  although  I  have 
contended  that  under  like  circumstances  and  envir¬ 
onments,  we  would  all  reach  the  same  conclusions. 
There  is  a  difference  between  theory  and  practice, 
between  things  as  they  are  and  things  as  they  ought 
to  be,  but  when  once  the  operative  power  of  govern¬ 
ment  is  established  by  the  people,  from  the  people, 
for  public  welfare,  uphold  the  hands  of  power, 
strengthen  the  arm  of  authority,  give  approval  to 
well  doing,  and  praise  for  just  decisions,  to  make  the 
life  of  the  ruler  joyful  and  satisfying,  instead  of  a 
constant  round  of  smoothing  frictions  and  hearing 
complaints.  Study  every  social  need  with  the  aim 
of  correction  or  alleviation  and  not  criticism  and  fault 
findings.  Each  for  all,  and  all  for  the  advancement 
of  the  welfare  of  each  individual  is  true  democracy, 
and  we  have  never  yet  had  rulers,  whose  aim  was 
not  to  deal  fairly  and  justly  with  all  citizens,  as  the 
best  welfare  of  every  state  and  the  nation  at  large 
demanded.  As  with  us  government  is  by  chosen 
representative  bodies,  we  may  well  restrain  all  our 
comments  upon  the  action  of  the  operative  power  in 
the  repression  of  radicalism  and  the  protection  of 
property  and  vested  interests,  be  charitable  toward 


OPERATIVE  POWER 


47 


all,  and  as  each  fulfills  his  duty  to  the  state  in  the 
course  of  the  evolutions  of  society,  all  these  things 
which  are  essential  to,  and  best  for  our  national  life, 
will  be  added  to  us  as  a  people,  blessed  with  freedom 
of  thought,  action,  and  personal  conviction. 


THE  RULE  OF  REASON 

1AWYERS  and  statesmen  are  trained  primar- 
ily  to  subordinate  popular  activities  to  na¬ 
tional  welfare.  Although  we  must  presume 
every  law  to  be  construct  ve  of  all  good  and  destruc¬ 
tive  of  all  evil,  it  is  an  adm  tied  fact  that  the  frailty 
of  human  wisdom,  the  common  necessity  of  hasty 
legislation  and  the  lack  of  laws  universally  applicable 
and  applied,  place  upon  our  statute  books  rules  of 
conduct,  the  results  of  which  in  their  application  are 
entirely  divergent  from  the  intention  of  the  pro¬ 
moters.  Just  as  the  rough  diamond  cannot  be  cut 
in  an  instant,  but  for  the  best  brilliancy,  corner  by 
corner,  each  little  face  is  carefully  ground,  even  so  the 
most  powerful  court  errs  in  recognizing  laws  detri¬ 
mental  to  the  broadest  scope  of  public  welfare,  for 
the  conception  of  the  rule  of  reason  is  that  we  codify 
laws  with  only  one  objective  in  view,  and  that  is  to 
so  regulate  the  conduct  of  men,  business,  and  affairs 
as  to  create  the  greatest  impetus  to  moral,  physical, 
social,  and  industrial  advancement,  to  secure  our 
democratic  institutions,  our  government  of  the  peo¬ 
ple,  by  the  people,  and  for  the  people. 

The  greatest  men  of  every  nation  are  the  judges 
and  law-givers,  the  lawyers  and  statesmen  who  un¬ 
selfishly  dedicate  their  lives  and  their  fortunes  to 
harmonizing  reason  and  justice  with  law  and  custom, 

48 


THE  RULE  OF  REASON 


49 


successfully  protecting  life  and  property;  as  a  matter 
of  history  such  men,  admired,  quoted,  and  honored 
by  succeeding  generations  and  nations,  were  in  their 
day  and  generation  defeated  and  driven  to  despair 
and  desperation  by  forces  of  greed  and  avarice,  whose 
avenues  of  revenue  were  by  them  assailed,  resultant 
that  great  men  are  seldom  measured  by  wealth 
and  honorary  degrees,  but  by  sufferings  experienced, 
hardships  endured,  and  some  final  temporary  victory. 
The  benefits  of  freedom  of  press,  speech,  and  right 
to  contract  and  be  bound  by  contract  are  jeopardized 
by  every  influence  tending  to  undermine  confidence, 
and  lawyers  and  statesmen  are  intermediaries  to 
guide  judges  and  dignitaries  to  just  conclusions  and 
decisions.  Through  the  glasses  of  experience  we 
discover  that  we  may  have  too  much  law  and  too 
little  reasoning  justice,  too  many  makers  of  law  and 
not  enough  statesmen. 

Legal  honesty  is  broad  humanitarianism,  not  that 
all  dealings  shall  conform  to  precedent,  decisions, 
and  statutory  law  within  the  pale  of  technicality, 
but  that  principles  of  equity  and  justice  shall  always 
over-shadow  and  defeat  oppression  and  wrong,  to 
guide  toward  right  and  away  from  the  rule  of  physical 
power.  The  history  of  law  is  resplendent  with  the 
names  of  statesmen  who  have  valiantly  striven  for 
righteousness  and  high  ideals  in  the  course  of  the 
evolution  of  social  progress,  assisting  unintentional 
transgressors,  for,  after  all,  we  are  all  men  and  wo¬ 
men,  dealing  with  men  and  women,  living  as  men  and 
women  within  the  limitations  of  human  experience. 
As  a  final  thought,  honesty  requires  that  lawyers 


50 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


never  build  reputations  upon  evading  court  rules 
and  assisting  the  dishonest  and  criminal  to  escape 
just  deserts;  moreover,  misrepresentation  of  facts  to 
secure  acquittal  should  never  be  made  to  a  jury  any 
more  than  to  a  judge,  as  in  each  case  rules  of  contempt 
of  court  should  equally  apply.  Where  there  is  no 
doubt  of  guilt,  in  the  presence  of  the  accused,  have 
the  representing  lawyer  plead  for  pardon  and  clem¬ 
ency  before  the  bar  of  justice,  seeking  to  reduce  the 
transgressor  to  a  position  of  obligation  to  the  court, 
rather  than  to  counsel,  by  compelling  him  to  appeal 
for  and  receive  mercy  and  do  recompense  for  wrong. 
Ideas  of  vengeance  and  punishment  are  not  included 
in  true  justice,  and  we  need  never  hesitate  to  add  a 
little  friendship,  a  little  assistance  to  every  person 
in  actual  distress  to  make  every  citizen  a  true  friend 
of  law  and  order. 


THE  LAWYER  STATESMAN 


THE  greatest  leaders  of  this  and  every  other 
civilized  nation  have  been  lawyers,  who  have 
dedicated  their  lives  and  fortunes  to  improving 
the  condition  of  humanity.  Yet  the  very  name  of 
lawyer  breathes  popular  distrust  and  apprehension 
of  ingenious  arguments  to  destroy  truth  and  cover 
over  falsehood  and  crime  or  to  force  legislation  favor¬ 
ing  railroads  and  shipping  interests.  Thereby  the 
lawyer  statesman  comes  into  popular  infamy  and 
disrepute  as  being  a  consistent  supporter  of  every 
special  interest  against  all  corrective  and  radical 
legislation.  Now  suddenly  the  nation  realizes 
that  our  statesmen  lawyers  were  right  in  favor¬ 
ing  these  special  interests,  and  this  radical  legis¬ 
lation,  with  which  we  have  shackled  every  industry 
and  trade,  is  actually  unjust  and  destructive  of 
American  industrial  efficiency!  We  realize  that 
where  men  have  spent  lifetimes  in  building  up  great 
systematic  organs  of  corporations  to  regulate  supply 
and  demand,  and  reduce  productive  cost  of  commerce 
and  manufacturing,  we  have  ruthlessly  and  ignorantly 
classed  all  these  great  modern  advances  as  monopolies, 
and  proceeded  to  destroy  every  fountain  of  power  and 
co-operation. 

These  popular  reforms  simply  entrench  local 
aggrandizement  and  petty  improvement,  and  impose 

51 


52 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  retention  of  impractical  rules,  duties,  and  regula¬ 
tions.  Therefore  an  entirely  new  economic  fabric 
must  be  woven  to  determine  our  national  and  inter¬ 
national  duties  upon  permanent  lines,  wherefrom  we 
must  never  deviate,  that  a  united  America  focus  its 
aims  upon  greater  stability  than  can  ever  come  from 
commercialism.  Industrial  wealth  is  something  that 
cannot  be  produced  rapidly  without  impoverishing 
the  producer.  Now  we  must  continue  peace  be¬ 
tween  our  own  capital  and  labor,  between  our 
own  producers  and  consumers,  and  satisfy  our 
politicians,  our  army,  our  navy,  and  be  prepared 
for  the  coveted  peace  among  nations.  We  can¬ 
not  permit  our  love  for  liberty  to  drive  us  as  a 
nation  to  abandon  unity,  system,  and  industrial 
application.  Liberty  of  a  free  people  means  freedom 
to  bind  ourselves  by  laws,  which,  nevertheless,  we 
must  strictly  and  impartially  enforce;  we  must 
establish  a  universal  system  of  equal  taxation  and 
organize  our  industry  and  commerce,  to  guarantee 
freedom  to  consolidate  and  co-operate,  to  develop 
efficiency  and  bring  practical  results.  America 
cannot  refuse  the  services  of  any  statesman  who  will 
come  forward  with  the  solution  of  our  present  day 
problems.  Call  back  to  the  rescue  of  our  Ship  of 
State,  those  statesmen  lawyers,  servants  of  corpora¬ 
tions,  if  you  will,  or  if  the  great  trade  organizers  will 
accept  the  opportunity  of  patriotic  service,  call  upon 
them,  but  let  us  reason  now  together.  We  have 
come  to  the  parting  of  the  ways  and  we  must 
co-ordinate  our  state  and  national  legislation 
in  one  grand  effort,  once  for  all,  to  place  America 


THE  LAWYER  STATESMAN 


53 


on  the  map  as  a  nation  of  ideals,  fearless  and 
powerful;  a  nation  of  business  men,  cohesive  and 
unexploitable;  a  nation  of  unity,  under  one  na¬ 
tional  emblem,  honestly  and  sincerely  devoted  to 
world-wide  humanitarianism  and  universal  peace. 
There  is  now  a  place  and  a  duty  for  you,  lawyer 
statesmen,  above  local  interests  and  business  de¬ 
mands,  and  an  expectant  nation  looks  to  you  with 
assurance  that  ways  and  means  will  be  devised  to 
speedily  meet  and  remedy  the  apparent  need  of  trusty 
guides  to  lead  us  out  of  the  maze  of  errors  into  a  new 
unity  of  thought,  purpose,  and  activity. 


WALL  STREET  AND  LEGISLATION 

TH  E  equilibrium  of  the  balance  wheel  of 
America  depends  on  Wall  Street  tickers,  and 
listen  to  what  they  say:  “Freedom  to  con¬ 
tract  and  be  bound  by  contract  is  a  part  of  our  funda¬ 
mental  free  institutions,  and  Congress  shall  make  no 
law  destructive  of  this  basic  principle.”  No  legisla¬ 
ture  shall  pass  statutes  to  make  water  flow  uphill, 
but  each  must  regard  the  rights  of  all  contracting 
parties,  accomplishing  the  greatest  good  to  the  great¬ 
est  number.  Politicians  ask  the  abolishment  of  stock 
speculation,  but  consider  what  confusion  of  business 
must  necessarily  follow  if  courts  can  judge  upon 
questions  of  fact  as  to  what  is  speculation  and  what  is 
a  fictitious  value.  The  answer  at  once  is  by  divi¬ 
dends,  yet  consider  that  many  stocks  give  dividends 
for  many  years  and  then  fail,  while  others  give  no 
dividends  for  many  years  and  then  suddenly  break 
away  into  soaring  prices.  Our  Constitution  is  sound, 
while  many  statutes  are  unsound,  and  the  right  to 
bind  and  be  bound  by  contract  must  continue  a 
recognized  constitutional  basic  principle.  A  sen¬ 
atorial  candidate  at  a  recent  election  was  told  that 
if  he  vetoed  every  law  introduced  he  would  render  the 
greatest  possible  national  service,  at  the  risk  of  being 
the  most  hated  man  at  the  capital.  But  duty  must 
be  performed,  for  even  now  we  suffer  from  an  excess 


54 


WALL  STREET  AND  LEGISLATION 


55 


of  statutory  law,  which  has  become  the  present-day 
abomination  everywhere  throughout  the  nation. 
The  recent  New  Jersey  Commission  to  revise  the 
municipal  laws  found  a  thousand  useless  statutes, 
recommending  the  repeal  of  all,  but  how  much  better 
if  those  statutes  had  never  been  passed.  There  is  the 
greatest  need  for  an  inspecting  judge  to  pass  upon  all 
statutes  and  cases  violating  our  business  integrity, 
and  the  time  to  legislate  Wall  Street  stock  speculation 
out  of  Wall  Street  will  never  come.  Rather,  it  is 
necessary  to  curb  the  tendency  to  pass  innumerable 
apparently  harmless,  but  often  troublesome,  un¬ 
constitutional  statutes  to  satisfy  popular  unrest  and 
agitation.  Require  every  prospective  law  to  be  first 
submitted  to  a  constitutional  committee  and  come 
forth  with  their  approval,  so  that  our  legislatures 
shall  not  continue  to  pile  laws  upon  laws,  but  rather 
organize  business  under  capable  leaders,  with  full 
confidence  in  these  leaders,  so  that  every  citizen 
shall  have  a  trade  and  continue  industrious  and 
productive,  politically,  however,  minding  his  own 
business. 

The  United  States  is  subject  to  an  ever-increasing 
peril  from  politicians,  lawyers,  and  preachers,  who 
induce  large  bodies  of  citizenry  to  leave  honest  pur¬ 
suits  and  become  burdens  upon  our  industrial  system. 
Man  must  earn  his  bread  by  labor,  value  given  in 
exchange  for  value  is  the  only  honest  measure,  and 
the  balancing  force  is  honest  toil.  Gamblers  only 
create  fictitious  values  in  exceptional  circumstances, 
but  when  the  workingman  is  once  enticed  from  his 
bench,  home,  and  family  to  the  white  lights  of  the 


56 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

great  city,  another  good  citizen  is  lost  and  another 
drone  created  to  further  sap  the  industrial  strength  of 
the  nation  and  give  nothing  in  return.  The  Stock 
Exchange  is  a  necessary  institution,  regulating  the 
values  of  all  commodities  and  securities,  under 
leadership  of  men  capable  to  organize  and  systema¬ 
tize  world  business.  Over  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 
stocks  issued  never  pay  a  dividend,  just  as  over  ninety 
per  cent,  of  business  enterprises  engaged  in  by  men 
fail  absolutely,  but  the  relatively  few  successes  com¬ 
pensate  for  all  the  failures.  The  great  weakness  of 
our  national  organization  to-day  is  that  from  a 
standpoint  legislatively  and  economically  we  are 
steering  the  wrong  courses,  because  we  do  not  follow 
permanent,  consistent  leaders,  and  because  we  dis¬ 
courage  and  destroy  the  good  influence  of  great  men 
who,  if  not  interfered  with,  would  organize  our  busi¬ 
ness  to  assure  future  stability. 

As  a  nation  we  could  exist  for  centuries  with  the 
laws  we  have,  never  creating  a  single  new  statute, 
and,  indeed,  beneficially  repealing  nine  tenths  of  the 
laws  that  encumber  and  confuse  our  statute  books 
to-day.  Then  why  waste  public  funds  piling  laws 
upon  laws  and  statutes  upon  statutes?  Let  us,  rather, 
codify  those  we  have  so  that  they  can  be  found  and 
used,  and  not  be  as  traps  to  the  unwary.  Then  give 
stability  to  our  institutions  by  permitting  good  office 
holders  to  hold  office  long  enough  for  the  nation  to 
benefit  by  accumulated  experience.  In  London  one 
competent  police  commissioner  held  office  for  five 
years,  giving  remarkable  service,  while  in  New  York 
during  the  same  period  thirteen  different  com  mis- 


WALL  STREET  AND  LEGISLATION  57 


sioners  were  elevated  to  office  and  quickly  disposed  of 
before  they  even  became  acquainted  with  the  men  of 
the  force,  and  the  city  was  robbed  of  useful  service, 
not  by  intentional  theft,  but  by  such  business  in¬ 
competence  as  would  be  criminal  in  a  business  cor¬ 
poration.  But  why  should  not  a  municipality  be  run 
as  a  business  institution?  And  why  should  we  be 
subjected  to  ten  times  the  greatest  political  burden  to 
support  the  most  foolhardy  and  extravagant  political 
machinery  the  world  has  ever  known?  Our  people 
must  realize  that  it  is  impossible  to  increase  the 
general  amount  of  wages  in  this  country  except  by 
increasing  the  amount  of  labor  applied  to  productive 
pursuits  and  the  commercial  avenues  of  the  disposi¬ 
tion  of  produce.  It  is  impossible,  in  plain  English, 
to  increase  wages  by  legislation  except  in  the  sense 
of  preferment  of  one  class  of  workers  at  the  ex¬ 
pense  of  another.  Half  the  statutory  law  passed 
by  our  legislatures  is  unconstitutional  or  im¬ 
proper  either  in  form  or  object.  Our  financial  leaders 
in  Wall  Street  try  to  stem  the  flood,  but  instead  of 
damming  up  the  stream  they  are  content  to  eradicate, 
as  far  as  possible,  injurious  tendencies. 

But  the  entire  principle  of  these  popular  political 
upheavals  and  notable  investigations  is  wrong.  It  is 
like  two  women  arguing  on  which  side  of  a  road  a  tree 
is,  when  they  could  walk  around  a  corner  and  see  and 
believe.  Business  men  of  America,  you  are  cordially 
invited  to  take  the  helm  and  guide  the  Ship  of  State. 
We  have  had  enough  of  these  incompetent  politicians, 
who  ought  to  be  engaged  in  honest  labor,  but  who 
rather  prefer  to  anchor  themselves  in  everybody’s 


58 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


back  yard  and  spend  their  time  in  interfering  with 
every  form  of  legitimate  business.  We  must  save 
America  from  this  present  peril,  and  the  result  can 
only  be  accomplished  by  the  leadership  of  men  ex¬ 
perienced  in  affairs  and  by  patriotic  forbearance  on 
the  part  of  our  laboring  classes,  until  we  can  attain 
the  necessary  industrial  efficiency. 


THE  RAILROAD  CONTROVERSY 


WITH  our  enormous  investments  in  railroads, 
commerce,  and  manufacturing,  we  cannot 
submit  to  measures  destructive  or  detrimen¬ 
tal  to  the  property  rights  and  privileges,  bestowed 
upon  individuals  or  upon  corporate  bodies,  in  which 
individuals  have  largely  invested.  It  is  the  function 
of  Government  to  preserve  such  property  and  the 
individual  rights  and  privileges  which  it  bestowed 
when  these  companies  were  incorporated,  nor  is  there 
constitutional  power  in  our  legislative  bodies  to 
change  at  random  rights  which  we  have  created  and 
which  have  now  become  the  possessions  of  perman¬ 
ently  invested  capital.  If  we  laid  a  tax  upon  these 
bodies,  with  the  thought  of  taxing  them  out  of  exist¬ 
ence,  who  would  uphold  the  constitutionality  of  such 
a  burden?  We  cannot  have  two  sides  to  the  inter¬ 
pretation  of  Constitutional  rights,  so  that  every  act 
or  law  not  in  accord  with  this  Constitution,  if  main¬ 
tenance  of  such  law  is  to  be  insisted  upon,  becomes  no 
longer  fundamentally  unconstitutional,  but  revolu¬ 
tionary.  No  man  or  body  of  men  can  acquire  rights 
to  check  or  increase  the  powers  of  our  central  Govern¬ 
ment  to  make  it  conform  to  their  opinions,  for  it  is 
equally  revolutionary  to  erect  a  better  Government 
and  to  cure  oppressive  wrongs  if  such  acts  are  not 
duly  and  regularly  performed  according  to  law. 

59 


60 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

Why  this  unrest  and  this  haste  to  readjust  the 
fundamental  tenets  of  our  Republic,  coupled  with  a 
threat  of  refusal  to  submit  to  decisions,  by  those  to 
whom  we  have  intrusted  the  final  analysis  under  Our 
Constitution,  and  who  are  sworn  to  hold  sacred  every 
thread  of  the  fabric  of  the  institution  of  our  common¬ 
wealth?  Our  Government  is  now  the  recognized 
organ  of  a  united  people,  binding  them  by  bonds 
indissolvable  and  immutable,  except  as  changed  in 
accordance  with  authorized  and  established  laws 
and  customs.  No  legislative  body  has  a  right  to 
wilfully  violate  the  uniformity  of  these  fundamental 
precepts,  and  no  class  of  citizenry  or  business  men 
can  be  favored,  for  Our  Unity  depends  upon  the 
equality  of  distribution,  in  the  application  of  broaden¬ 
ing  law  and  the  restraint  of  restrictive  measures.  So 
there  can  be  no  individual  or  selective  interpretation 
of  constitutional  measures,  except  by  the  central  em¬ 
powered  body,  to  which  we  look  for  the  final  judg¬ 
ment,  which  must  alike  be  based  upon  the  instrument 
from  which  the  deciding  powers  are  derived.  It  is 
only  by  our  submission  to  high  and  trusted  authori¬ 
ties  that  we  can  hope  to  escape  oppression  and  injus¬ 
tice,  and  this  highest  body  must  be  kept  pure  and 
undefiled  of  any  interest  or  passion,  except  to  main¬ 
tain  and  preserve  the  source  of  their  power  and  keep 
inviolate  the  pledge  of  Our  Union.  There  is  no  right 
for  them  to  give  or  take  away  liberty  and  privilege, 
and  they  cannot  change  this  immutable  Law  above 
Law,  but  only  administer  the  distribution  of  the 
central  power  equally,  impartially,  and  justly  to  all 
men.  Even  where  unconstitutional  laws  are  enacted. 


THE  RAILROAD  CONTROVERSY  61 

we  must  maintain  liberty  and  order  until  the  ques¬ 
tion  of  the  unconstitutionality  is  finally  disposed  of. 
When  the  combinations  of  capital  found  new  laws 
harrassing  and  unprofitable  in  the  extreme,  no  pas¬ 
sion  was  shown  in  the  submission  to  unjust  enact¬ 
ments,  but  appeals  were  made,  in  regular  and  due 
form,  with  a  determination  to  accept  and  make  the 
best  of  the  final  interpretation  of  the  rights  of  men. 
It  seems  absurd  to  argue  for  a  fair  submission  of  all 
interstate  law  to  the  proper  tribunals,  but  this  argu¬ 
ment  seems  not  unnecessary  in  view  of  the  feelings  of 
our  citizenry,  seeking  new  recognition  and  privilege. 

But  consider  the  paths  we  tread  when  once  we 
leave  any  misunderstanding  or  controversy  unset¬ 
tled,  or  if  we  refuse  absolute  submission  to  some  un¬ 
changing  code.  We  do  not  want  one  law  for  wealth 
and  another  for  poverty,  nor  is  it  our  policy  to  make 
men  rich  by  law,  for  men  appreciate  wealth  best  who 
gain  it  through  conscientious  effort  and  service.  If 
we  can  improve  upon  our  constitutions,  ways  of 
amendment  are  provided,  slow  methods  to  be  sure, 
but  we  must  not  act  in  haste  lest  we  suffer  through 
long,  dreary  years  of  misgovernment  and  injustice. 
All  special  or  partial  laws,  which  may  seem  beneficial 
to-day  will  nevertheless  in  the  future  cause  disturbance 
and  trouble,  for  such  laws  undermine  the  equilibrium 
and  nicety  of  balance  of  the  machinery  of  govern¬ 
ment.  This  applies  to  individuals  and  classes  of 
men,  as  well  as  to  States  and  sections  of  the  country, 
and  submission  to  law  by  all,  for  the  benefit  and  best 
interests  of  all,  is  vital  to  continued  prosperity  for  the 
whole  nation.  No  other  people  has  ever  been  blessed 


62  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

'V  V' 

with  such  border  to  border  happiness  and  individual 
opportunity  for  every  citizen  as  we  have  conditions 
here  to-day  under  our  Constitution  which  a  Glad¬ 
stone  pronounced  the  greatest  Charter  of  Rights  and 
Liberties.  Now  we  must  scan  our  legislative  enact¬ 
ments  and  measure  and  square  them  wdth  this  Con¬ 
stitution,  and  quickly  repudiate  all  measures  which 
do  not  fairly  stand  the  test.  We  must  have  only 
one  centre  of  control  and  never  permit  that  all  power¬ 
ful  rule  of  reason  to  be  swayed  or  driven  by  any  opin¬ 
ion,  prejudice,  or  influence. 

Human  beings  are  by  nature  social,  and  united  in 
families,  in  cities  and  in  society;  and  we  love  and 
favor  most  those  who  are  nearest  and  dearest.  But 
law  administration  is  to  measure  acts  and  deeds  with 
written  rules  of  conduct,  the  application  of  which  can¬ 
not  vary  without  injustice  and  partiality,  and  never 
must  we  allow  even  a  suspicion  of  the  presence  of 
these  creatures  of  iniquity  to  creep  into  our  court 
proceedings,  for  our  prosperity  is  founded  upon  the 
observance  of  law  and  the  protection  of  vested  inter¬ 
ests.  Herewith  shall  we  measure  every  legislative 
enactment  and  decree,  that  no  law  shall  stand  in 
violation  of  the  privileges  of  freedom  to  contract,  to 
buy,  to  sell,  to  hold,  and  to  manage  property  rights 
and  franchises,  which  the  sovereign  people  have  per¬ 
mitted  to  accrue,  as  is  the  inalienable  right  of  every 
citizen  to  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness. 

Let  us  then  appeal  to  the  reason  of  every  American 
citizen  to  hold  sacred  our  institutions  of  Freedom  and 
Righteousness.  Let  us  admit  that  those  to  whom 
we  have  intrusted  the  leadership  of  this  people  are 


THE  RAILROAD  CONTROVERSY  63 

acting  wisely  and  with  the  highest  courage  and  judg¬ 
ment,  to  bring  order  out  of  chaos  and  pilot  us  safely 
with  honor,  to  increased  prosperity  and  world  wide 
influence  and  service.  To  this  end  every  man  must 
do  his  duty.  Each  must  sacrifice  for  the  common 
weal,  that  all  may  prosper,  for  the  prosperity  of 
each  individual  is  the  prosperity  of  all.  Restore 
harmony  and  intercourse,  and  with  laws  of  universal 
application  protect  the  minority  as  well  as  the  ma¬ 
jority,  for  honest  men  do  not  have  to  fear  the  strength 
of  a  Democratic  Government  founded  in  equality  and 
justice.  With  courage,  confidence,  and  honor  stand 
for  honesty,  conviction,  and  the  love  of  man,  to  leave 
men  free  to  contract,  to  manufacture,  and  to  trade 
with  each  other,  and  only  restrain  injury  and  injus¬ 
tice.  Wherever  in  our  zeal  and  sympathy  for  our 
fellows  we  have  diverged  from  the  sound  discretion 
of  the  American  people,  as  shown  in  their  foundation 
citadel  of  unity,  let  us  retrace  our  steps  and  render 
to  every  individual  and  corporation  equal  recognition 
and  square  administration  of  every  law,  and  where 
there  is  no  constitutional  law  to  restrict  vested  inter¬ 
ests,  permit  full  freedom  of  contract,  as  far  as  the 
universal  welfare  of  all  citizens  of  this  Republic 
will  permit.  We  cannot  write  history  in  one  day  nor 
in  one  generation  if  we  are  to  have  endurance  and 
glory.  We  must  first  silence  prejudice,  remove 
doubts  and  fears,  and  reason  out  every  cause  and 
effect,  in  order  to  preserve  this  glorious  Union. 

Americans  have  been  in  the  past  a  restless  people, 
but  steady  now,  stop,  look,  and  listen,  we  are  all 
minute  men,  watching  and  waiting  to  see  how  the 


64 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


national  tides  turn,  and  how  we  can  best  serve  our 
beloved  land.  Behold  our  National  Emblem,  those 
forty-eight  stars,  encompassed  in  one  blue  field  speak 
a  true  unity;  those  white  bars  speak  of  purity  of  pur¬ 
pose;  and  those  red  bars  bravery  in  standing  for 
the  Right  as  we  see  the  Right.  We  shall  never  falter, 
never  turn  back,  but  yet  keep  in  mind,  with  nations 
as  with  individuals,  one  for  all  and  all  with  a  single¬ 
ness  of  purpose  to  promote  and  engender  a  universal 
brotherhood,  to  which  no  man  or  woman  shall  be  a 
stranger.  We  recognize  neither  East  nor  West  bor¬ 
der  nor  breed  nor  birth  in  this  universal  brotherhood, 
but  all  men  are  brothers.  There  are  three  kinds  of 
enforced  authority:  for  profit,  for  caste,  and  for 
beneficial  service,  education,  and  welfare.  The  en¬ 
forced  authority  for  profit  is  slavery,  and  the  ultimate 
end  of  labor  should  never  be  profit,  but  the  standard 
of  welfare,  that  each  must  work  to  live  and  live  to 
work  for  the  welfare  of  all.  The  enforced  authority  of 
caste  may  in  a  minor  degree  exist  even  in  a  family,  as 
the  Irishman  beat  his  son  saying :  “  ’Tis  not  because  I 
hate  you,  I  bate  you,  but  to  show  the  authority  I  have 
over  you.”  But  Democratic  authority  aims  to  ac¬ 
complish  beneficial  service,  education,  and  the  individ¬ 
ual  and  collective  welfare  of  the  nation,  and  in  a 
broader  sense  of  every  nation  and  people.  We  can 
have  outlaw  nations  as  well  as  outlaw  individuals,  and 
the  power  of  brute  force  control  must  be  overcome  and 
vanquished  by  the  powers  of  civilization  and  humani- 
tarianism,  for  we  stand  to  favor  good  men,  honest  and 
true  to  fill  every  office  of  honor  and  power,  to  bestow 
justice  and  prosperity  upon  our  State  and  Nation. 


THE  FEDERAL  STATE 


^  |  'HE  collective  interests  of  forty-eight  states, 
each  with  its  own  separate  constitution,  are 
guarded  by  a  national  state,  likewise  with  an 
independent  complete  written  constitution  over  these 
United  States.  This  Union  of  States  is  not  an  al¬ 
liance  of  powers  but  a  single  individual  Republic, 
recognized  abroad,  and  with  full  and  absolute  author¬ 
ity,  to  bind  itself  and  every  member  of  the  Union  by 
obligations,  treaties,  and  undertakings  within  consti¬ 
tutional  powers,  without  consent  of  or  reference  to 
the  several  components,  so  that  the  unity  is  real, 
absolute,  and  complete,  for  better,  for  worse.  With 
us  the  Federal  State  assumes  the  white  man’s  burden, 
and  acts  his  part  upon  the  checker  board  of  nations; 
our  central  government  at  home,  as  well  as  our  rule 
of  territory  abroad,  must  be  simple  and  strong,  but  it 
must  all  proceed  from  the  same  federal  state,  having 
its  roots  in  the  unity  and  liberty  of  our  constitution. 
Ours  is  an  impartial  government,  a  business  democ¬ 
racy,  without  favorites,  but  with  common  rules  of 
action,  to  open  up,  develop  and  protect  avenues  of 
trade  opportunities,  equally  for  all  our  people,  whe¬ 
ther  of  State  or  Territory,  to  establish  treaties  abroad 
and  to  maintain  at  home  a  rule  of  justice.  Business 
confidence  and  credit  come  with  the  increase  in  wages, 
satisfaction  among  the  employed  toward  the  em- 

65 


66 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ployers,  good-will  toward  capital,  tlie  increase  of 
wealth  invested,  the  number  of  men  employed,  and 
high  prices  obtained  for  commodities  and  productions 
of  labor,  combined  with  the  thrift,  economy,  and  toil 
of  all  the  people.  The  signs  of  prosperity  are  ac¬ 
cumulated  bank  accounts,  free  and  clear  homes,  low 
rates  of  interest,  the  systematic,  rapid  reduction  of 
national  indebtedness,  and  the  people  well  clothed, 
well  nourished,  and  well  sheltered.  A  foolish,  corrupt, 
or  spendthrift  government  brings  poverty,  misery, 
and  lack  of  employment  and  opportunity  for  business 
expansion  to  the  people,  but  the  United  States  meas¬ 
ures  a  man  not  by  wealth,  not  by  learning,  not  by 
stature  nor  by  physical  strength,  but  by  his  capa¬ 
bility  for  efficient  service,  so  that  America  is  an 
aristocracy  of  efficiency,  from  which  we  choose  lead¬ 
ers  of  the  federal  state,  to  give  to  the  state  members 
the  blessings  of  wise  and  sound  governmental  ad¬ 
ministration.  The  function  of  the  federal  state  is  to 
create  and  maintain  conditions  such  as  increase  the 
national  activities  so  that  capital  has  confidence  in  a 
prosperity  not  founded  on  chance,  and  labor  finds  a 
permanent  employment.  Opportunities  of  retreat 
are  always  at  hand,  and  every  wide  awake  nation 
is  eager  to  seize  any  opening,  but  opportunities  to 
advance  and  expand  seldom  occur,  and  the  oppor¬ 
tunity  passed  by  never  returns.  The  Federal  State 
is  the  instrument  of  the  Union  to  advance  or  retreat, 
to  expand  or  contract,  to  maintain  our  good  name, 
our  credit,  our  faith,  and  integrity,  in  our  dealings 
with  every  government  and  people.  Moreover  a 
high  and  sacred  obligation  rests  upon  this  Federal 


THE  FEDERAL  STATE 


67 


State  to  protect  life  and  property,  and  to  maintain 
law  and  order,  throughout  the  realm,  upholding  and 
preserving  the  powers  of  both  State  and  Federal 
constitutions. 

This  leads  us  to  consider  what  we  may  term  the 
rudder  or  guiding  power  of  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  the  Supreme  Court,  for  our 
Federal  State  is  in  the  last  analysis  founded  upon 
Law,  which,  while  in  every  respect  it  must  be  Con¬ 
stitutional,  is  in  effect  supra-constitutional,  for  the 
constitution  is  thereby  interpreted.  The  powers  of 
this  Guardian  of  Our  Constitution  are  most  jealously 
guarded,  being  the  only  Court  deriving  from  the 
Constitution  original  jurisdiction,  and  its  jurisdic¬ 
tion  being  above  legislative  control,  and  with  the 
inferior  Courts  forms  the  guiding  star  of  our  national 
life.  The  necessity  of  an  intense  respect  and  obed¬ 
ience  to  judges  and  those  in  authority  is  more  neces¬ 
sary  in  a  republic  than  under  any  other  form  of 
government,  for  the  first  element  of  patriotism  is 
reverence  for  law,  where  the  supreme  law  imposed  by 
the  people  over  themselves  is  the  supreme  rule  of 
conduct.  And  the  fundamental  element  of  respect 
for  law  is  to  hold  sacred  every  judicial  act,  to  guard 
every  trial  and  every  decision  from  prejudice,  from 
passion,  and  from  ulterior  considerations.  As  Courts 
only  interpret  and  never  originate  law,  as  they  weigh 
in  the  balance  but  never  make  or  subtract  from  con¬ 
tracts,  as  they  judge  criminal  deeds  by  evidence  only, 
and  generally  know  clearly  and  with  absolute  cer¬ 
tainty  the  true  facts,  however  obscured  or  concealed 
they  may  designedly  be,  before  judgment  is  finally 


68 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


rendered,  Americans  honor  law,  even  as  they  honor 
the  Flag,  an  inviolate  power,  whose  authority  we 
must  guard  as  life  itself,  for  how  can  even  our  consti¬ 
tution  save  us  from  disorder  and  anarchy,  unless  the 
sacred  interpretations  thereof,  except  as  changed  by 
those  powers  to  whom  we  entrust  interpretation,  are 
received  with  uncompromised  and  uncompromising 
obedience  from  every  subject.  Contempt  of  Court 
in  a  republic  should  be  viewed  by  patriotic  citizens 
rather  as  treason  than  misbehavior,  for  as  we  cherish 
our  institutions,  when  the  sovereign  people  bestow 
authority,  there  must  be  neither  insubordination, 
disobedience,  disrespect,  nor  resistance  to  the  judg¬ 
ment,  decrees,  mandates,  and  rulings  of  that  sover¬ 
eign  authority,  that  justice  and  good-will  be  forever 
the  twin  cornerstones  of  our  Democracy. 


TRADE  BOARDS 


BUSINESSMEN  of  America  realize  now  as 
never  before  the  increasing  importance  of 
boards  of  trade  to  local  and  national  business 
life.  Public  movements  of  momentous  consequence, 
along  all  commercial  and  industrial  lines,  have  their 
inception  and  obtain  their  support  from  these  boards. 
The  President  of  the  United  States,  his  Cabinet  and 
all  important  public  officials  now  keep  in  constant 
close  touch  with  the  United  States  Chamber  of  Com¬ 
merce  and  obtain  from  that  body  the  most  exact 
and  reliable  information  regarding  all  current  affairs 
from  every  section  of  the  country.  The  United 
States  Chamber  of  Commerce  represents  about  four 
hundred  thousand  business  concerns,  banded  to¬ 
gether  in  some  thirty-five  hundred  trade  boards, 
and  the  representatives  of  these  boards,  meeting  at 
the  nation’s  Capitol,  and  acting  through  their  per¬ 
manent  organization,  form  this  great  American  busi¬ 
ness  bureau  for  the  encouragement  of  American 
business  in  every  avenue  of  trade,  industry,  and  com¬ 
merce.  The  near  future  will  find  the  United  States 
the  foremost  commercial  nation,  and  this  union  of 
business  men  will  accomplish  the  settlement  of  diffi¬ 
culties  between  capital  and  labor  as  well  as  contro¬ 
versies  and  jealousies  among  all  political  factions, 
for  to-day  our  chamber  of  commerce  stands  as  a 

69 


70 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


grand  monument  to  co-operation  and  good-will  for 
mutual  advantage  and  advancement. 

The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States, 
organized  April  22  and  23,  1912,  at  the  National 
Commercial  Conference  called  by  President  William 
Howard  Taft  and  held  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  is  simply 
a  federation  of  all  commercial  organizations  of  the 
nation.  Every  state,  territory,  and  dependency,  as 
well  as  American  chambers  of  commerce  in  several 
foreign  countries,  are  represented,  so  that  the  field 
for  accomplishment  is  inclusive  of  every  business 
interest  of  the  country.  There  are  three  great 
factors  of  national  development;  manufacturing, 
agriculture,  and  commerce.  On  manufacturing  prob¬ 
lems  the  national  chamber  of  commerce,  calling  for 
information,  advice,  and  assistance  from  thousands  of 
industrial  centres,  takes  up  the  various  questions  of 
capital  and  labor,  the  tariff  and  reciprocal  treaty 
affairs,  and  the  development  of  transportation  and 
commercial  highways  with  the  states,  as  well  as  with 
other  nations.  Only  through  such  a  clearing  house  of 
business  ideas  can  we  hope  to  persuade  the  Central 
W  est  to  cease  its  active  opposition  to  merchant 
marine  legislation  and  to  permit  the  coast  cities  to 
have  a  fair  and  square  deal  in  trade  relations.  The 
real  cause  of  the  great  European  conflict  arose  from 
this  very  issue,  when  the  Central  Powers  found  their 
commerce  retarded  by  the  active  coast  nations;  but 
we  are  one  nation  and  the  central  states  as  well  as  the 
coast  cities  will  reap  immense  benefits  from  a  practi¬ 
cal  co-operative  commercial  system.  Of  primary 
importance  also  is  the  agricultural  element,  wfhich 


TRADE  BOARDS 


71 


produces  food  and  all  raw  materials.  Perhaps  the 
problems  here  are  even  more  difficult  to  handle  be¬ 
cause  of  the  special  need  of  laborers  and  financial 
assistance  every  year  for  short  uncertain  seasons,  to 
plant  and  harvest  the  crops.  Every  element  must  be 
considered  and  every  campaign  planned  in  advance. 
The  resources  of  the  country  must  be  conserved,  the 
soil  fertilized,  the  crops  rotated,  and  the  harvests 
garnered  in  and  shipped  to  the  various  storehouses 
and  ports  where  the  demand  is  urgent.  There  is 
room  here  for  many  a  master  mind  to  actively  assist 
the  rural  population.  Then  the  third  great  factor 
is  commerce.  Other  nations  have  outstripped  us  in 
the  past,  but  we  are  working  in  earnest  these  years  to 
establish  foreign  trade.  Representatives  in  every 
foreign  market  are  primarily  needed  to  ascertain 
what  the  customer  requires,  how  he  wants  the  goods 
prepared,  what  shall  be  the  terms  of  purchase,  and 
how  articles  can  be  exchanged  and  trade  financed. 
The  dealings  must  be  with  men  like  ourselves,  and 
they  will  not  come  to  us  unless  we  first  meet  them  on 
their  own  terms  and  prove  to  them  that  our  trade  is 
most  advantageous  and  beneficial  for  their  people. 
Business  is  business  in  the  foreign  markets,  and  our 
manufacturers  must  know  what  goods  to  manufac¬ 
ture,  and  how  to  please  customers  abroad  as  well  as  at 
home.  Thousands  of  trade  boards  from  as  many 
cities  regularly  receive  the  reports  from  the  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  and  the  merchants  and  manufacturers 
easily  meet  the  necessary  requirements  and  their 
goods  are  accepted  at  foreign  ports. 

Our  future  exports  will  not  include  many  agricul- 


72 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


tural  products  for  we  will  need  all  raw  or  basic  ma¬ 
terials  for  home  consumption.  Rut  our  trade  of 
manufactured  articles  will  boundlessly  increase,  and 
the  skill  of  our  workingmen  must  come  more  and 
more  into  competition  with  foreign  labor.  We  must 
be  able  to  compete  favorably  in  every  field  we  enter. 
The  American  skilled  workingman  is  the  most  won¬ 
derful  machine  in  the  world  and  holds  his  place  far  in 
advance  of  the  labor  of  all  other  nations.  Nearly 
every  great  modern  invention  has  had  its  origin  and 
inception  in  the  mind  of  some  American  mechanic, 
but  as  a  nation  we  are  like  the  football  team  of  bril¬ 
liant  individual  players,  we  have  not  yet  learned 
team  work.  Here  comes  the  Chamber  of  Commerce 
of  the  United  States  of  America.  Band  together, 
stand  together,  work  together,  businessmen  of  Amer¬ 
ica,  for  again  the  slogan  of  success  must  be  “  United 
we  stand,  divided  we  fall.”  Neither  partisanship  nor 
local  prejudice  shall  be  allowed  to  interfere  with 
business,  nor  shall  jealousy  or  greed  retard  the  welfare 
of  our  people,  for  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  is 
organized  and  acting  as  a  powerful  national  force  to 
gather  up,  focus  and  give  voice  to  intelligent  business 
opinion  wherever  and  whenever  needed.  It  is  high 
time  for  us  to  demand  that  all  our  legislation  both 
local  and  national  be  constructive  and  systematically 
co-operative,  for  the  welfare  of  every  factor  of  the 
national  life  is  inseparably  linked  with  every  other 
factor  in  the  great  community  of  interest  which 
now  actually  exists.  Through  this  Chamber  of  Com¬ 
merce  we  may  well  recognize  labor  organizations 
and  direct  their  legislation  so  that  no  selfish  objective 


TRADE  BOARDS 


73 


can  be  promoted.  Likewise  recognize  the  farmers’ 
grange  and  the  commercial  trade  bodies,  so  that 
these  three  great  factions,  with  a  wholesome  respect 
for  each  other's  strength  and  with  full  appreciation 
of  the  needs  and  rights  of  all,  on  a  platform  of  com¬ 
mon  good-will,  both  for  producer  and  distributor, 
for  labor  and  for  capital,  may  usher  in  a  new  and 
lasting  era  of  national  prosperity. 

All  this  and  more  has  been  accomplished  by  the 
union  of  trade  boards  into  a  representative  body, 
but  the  real  work  of  opening  up  and  controlling  the 
great  highways  of  trade  is  hardly  started,  so  we  may 
expect  bigger  results  from  these  activities  in  the 
Immediate  future.  The  local  trade  board  works  up¬ 
on  broad  lines,  open  to  the  criticism  of  the  public 
and  the  press,  and  the  members  serving,  without 
remuneration,  for  the  honor  and  advancement  of 
the  city  community.  The  officers  and  commit¬ 
tees  are  always  composed  of  well  known,  trusted, 
public  spirited  citizens,  unbiased  by  partisanship 
or  private  influence,  and  the  Board  enjoys  such  local 
respect  and  confidence  as  only  a  recognized  indepen¬ 
dent  body  can  command.  With  a  purpose  to  render 
justice  to  all  without  fear  or  favor,  the  average  trade 
board  meets  friend  and  foe,  with  valiant  fearlessness, 
unbiased  by  false  reports  and  unswayed  by  personal 
animosities.  In  their  progressiveness,  the  ideal 
trade  board  watches  for  and  turns  aside  those  in¬ 
advisable  and  extravagant  projects,  so  often  urged 
by  impractical  politicians.  The  really  important 
present  business  is  to  develop  opportunities,  and  to 
organize  into  a  big  live  system  the  many  scattered 


74  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

and  opposing  forces  which,  in  the  existing  confusion, 
too  often  tend  to  rend  our  national  unity  and  to 
foment  clashes  of  popular  opinion.  In  every  work¬ 
shop,  field,  and  playground  of  the  nation  these  power¬ 
ful  influences  are  increasingly  active,  and  through  the 
invaluable  central  organization  at  Washington,  we 
are  enabled  to  know  each  other  better,  and  we  can 
rest  assured  that  a  great  unity  of  purpose  will  rule 
America  for  generations  to  come  through  the  co¬ 
operation  of  our  boards  of  trade. 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 

RESTRICTIONS  upon  Liberty  of  the  Press 
are  a  measure  either  of  the  comparison  of 
“  the  friction  of  national  thought  with  the 
thought  of  other  nations,  or  of  individual  ideals  with 
governmental  plans,  for  the  free  expression  of  thought 
quickly  reaches  a  common  level,  just  as  every  other 
pent  up  force  when  released  from  pressure.  This 
question,  seldom  mentioned  or  discussed  except  in 
terms  of  constitutional  right  or  repressive  necessity, 
bears  a  continuous,  vital  influence  upon  every  modern 
controversy.  Republicanism  is  the  medium  will  of 
an  entire  people,  calculated  in  terms  of  government, 
and  while  the  determinate  medium  will  is  always 
sought  and  theoretically  approved,  the  upheavals  of 
minority  opinion  are  the  terror  of  all  authority,  and 
as  we  must  have  authority  and  must  likewise  have 
freedom  both  of  opinion  and  of  the  expression  of 
opinion,  students  of  men  collectively  and  individually 
have  been  as  much  at  a  loss  how  to  manage  and  use 
human  sentiments  as  inventors  have  been  to  harness 
and  use  the  power  of  the  ebbing  and  flowing  tides. 
None  have  successfully  controlled,  none  have  satis¬ 
factorily  explained,  and  great  controverises  have 
arisen  over  every  unexplainable  phenomena,  sug¬ 
gested  or  experienced,  and  yet  the  wealth  of  society, 
the  brains  of  government  and  the  lives  of  thousands 

75 


76 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


of  subjects  have  been  exhausted  and  wasted  in  vain 
efforts  to  enforce  the  control  of  society  over  thoughts, 
opinions,  beliefs,  and  ideals  of  men. 

There  are  men  who  say  we  must  have  no  govern¬ 
ment,  and  we  ask  them  how  then  can  we  have  regula¬ 
tion  of  supply  and  demand  and  intelligent  co-opera¬ 
tion,  to  raise  the  race  of  men  above  the  level  of  a 
flock  of  sheep.  There  are  men  who  say  we  should 
have  absolute  communism  of  all  supplies  of  food, 
clothing,  and  shelter,  and  we  ask  them  who  shall 
then  compel  any  man  to  work  or  what  incentive  will 
there  then  be  for  genius,  invention,  art,  or  skill.  There 
are  those  who  believe  men  are  capable  of  such  com¬ 
plete  character  development  as  to  sometime  form  a 
society  where  none  shall  ever  wrong  a  fellowman,  but 
experience  teaches  that  especially  those  mentally  effic¬ 
ient  or  deficient,  and  indeed  all  men,  when  driven  to 
desperation  by  physical  or  mental  needs,  speedily 
forget  all  social  restraint,  and  seek  means  of  self¬ 
protection  and  satisfaction.  So  there  is  a  rule  that 
liberty  of  the  press  is  a  right  not  to  be  wantonly 
abused,  or  used  for  selfish  or  revengeful  purposes  to 
damage  or  destroy  property  rights  or  privileges  of 
other  men.  Every  corporation  and  citizen  has  a 
right  to  establish  a  reputation,  which  when  estab¬ 
lished  is  a  property  right;  every  community  has  a 
right  to  guard  every  individual,  so  that  every  one 
shall  attain  the  highest  efficiency;  and  every  person 
has  the  right  to  the  enjoyment  of  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness,  so  using  his  own  property  as  not 
to  injure  others  either  in  their  property,  rights,  or 
persons. 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 


77 


It  is  not  men  who  report  facts  or  express  opinions 
who  are  dangerous,  but  the  seat  of  the  danger  of 
free  public  discussion  from  press  or  platform  lies  in 
the  unavoidable  ignorance,  inequality  of  education 
and  opportunity  for  advancement,  and  innate  fond¬ 
ness  for  selfdaudation,  of  individuals  or  groups  of 
individuals,  who  are  moved  by  impulses  for  which 
there  is  no  available  avenue  of  expression,  or  who  in 
their  opinions  refuse  to  investigate  both  sides  of  a 
question.  Governments  have  always  been  forced  to 
penalize  dishonesty  in  every  avenue  of  trade  and 
industry,  to  fight  men  of  dishonest  opinions  and  low 
ideals,  and  to  encourage  the  expression  of  opinion 
sought  by  high  ideals  to  overcome  low  ideals.  Error 
of  opinion  arising  from  subversion  of  education  can 
be  combatted  only  by  reason,  and  seldom  successfully. 
It  is  good  that  the  eternal  years  belong  to  truth,  for 
this  beautiful  tree  grows  slowly,  and  through  the 
centuries  must  be  many  times  over  pruned  and 
watered.  A  spontaneous  suggestion  from  the  mind 
of  a  child  is  either  true  or  affected  by  some  light  of 
truth  received,  but  the  teaching  of  experience  is  not 
there,  neither  the  test  of  experiment.  In  all  the 
various  doctrines,  dogmas  and  science  of  the  ages, 
printed  or  published,  there  is  neither  danger  nor  evil, 
except  as  untruths  are  framed  as  truths,  or  extraneous 
powers,  conditions,  or  circumstances  inflame  the 
imaginations  of  men,  and  yet  it  may  take  both  repres¬ 
sive  laws  and  repressive  public  opinion  to  protect  the 
established  reputations  of  men  in  authority  from 
scandal  or  to  protect  public  morals  from  malicious  or 
obscene  publications,  while  freedom  of  the  press 


78 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


must  nevertheless  ever  be  an  absolute  privilege, 
maintained  to  determine  and  present  the  opinions 
of  the  governed  to  their  rulers. 

Liberty  of  the  press  means  that  no  Governmental, 
corporate,  or  individual  authority  shall  dictate  or 
prescribe  to  a  people  what  arguments  upon  debatable 
subjects  they  shall  be  allowed  to  read  or  what  facts 
may  be  published  or  suppressed.  Not  even  one 
citizen  shall  be  deprived  of  a  right  to  express  his 
opinion,  for  he  may  suggest  a  truth,  as  did  Columbus 
when  he  declared  he  believed  the  earth  round;  and  as 
did  Galileo  when  he  declared  he  believed  the  earth 
revolved  around  the  sun,  as  against  the  unanimous 
opinion  of  his  own  age  and  all  previous  ages  to  the 
contrary,  proving  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as 
infallibility  in  the  opinions  of  men.  There  is  no  pos¬ 
sible  restriction  under  our  Constitution  either  against 
opinion  or  the  expression  of  opinion  by  any  citizen 
of  his  personal  convictions,  but  there  is  no  privilege 
thus  given  to  force  rejected  or  undesirable  conclusions 
and  arguments  upon  those  to  whom  they  are  dis¬ 
tasteful.  Equally  with  freedom  of  speech  and  of  the 
press,  good  sense  and  respect  for  the  opinions  of 
others,  especially  of  those  in  authority  must  prevail, 
and  minorities  established  by  popular  vote  are  like  a 
judicial  decision,  their  authority  is  curtailed  until  re¬ 
established.  Whenever  forces  controlling  men  are 
formally  given  over  into  the  charge  of  rulers  or  seized 
by  organized  groups  of  men,  we  call  the  operation  of 
such  forces  Government.  Insubordination,  disobe¬ 
dience,  and  treason  are  only  three  steps  in  crime 
against  authority  as  related  to  government,  just  as 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 


79 


dishonesty,  theft,  and  murder  are  steps  in  crime 
against  public  morals  as  related  to  regulation  of 
domestic  and  commercial  relationships.  It  is  not  a 
breach  of  the  constitutional  right  to  freedom  of  the 
press  to  punish  insubordination,  whether  in  times  of 
peace  or  times  of  war.  But  in  America,  toleration  is 
so  broad,  that  through  custom  in  a  generation  of 
peace,  men  regard  as  legal  rights  customary  public 
leniency  which  is  not  legally  a  privilege,  and  just  as 
no  land  can  be  lost  to  the  state  by  adverse  possession, 
no  rights  of  a  state  can  be  lost  by  custom,  for  rules 
which  apply  to  individual  relationships  regarding 
such  privileges  do  not  apply  equally  to  governmental 
relationships. 

Forces  of  authority  must  be  considered  as  con¬ 
tinually  operative,  even  though  invisible  and  un¬ 
armed,  and  successful  government  rests  in  holding 
the  continuous  respect  of  every  subject.  It  is  not 
carrying  heavy  loads  which  racks  an  automobile, 
but  the  starting  up,  sudden  retarding  of  speed,  turn¬ 
ing  corners,  or  sudden  stops,  which  may  break  a 
spring  or  snap  a  restraining  bond.  It  is  difficult  to 
defeat  a  person  who  plays  on  the  defensive,  and  it  is 
equally  difficult  to  meet  the  criticism  of  an  opponent 
who  stands  by  the  side  of  the  alleys  and  criticises 
every  shot.  Active  shirkers,  professional  gossip- 
mongers,  and  insatiable  malcontents  are  tolerated 
oftentimes  by  busy  men  who  are  immovably  centered 
so  that  they  cannot  retaliate,  because  they  have  laid 
out  lines  of  activity  from  which  they  cannot  deviate. 
Just  as  the  patient  horse  plods  along  with  a  yelping 
terrier  at  his  heels,  when  in  the  harness,  not  even 


80 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


attempting  to  kick  at  the  tormenter,  so  silence  is  the 
safest  reply  to  criticism  arising  from  envy  or  vulgar 
impertinence.  No  public  act  carries  within  itself 
more  immediate  or  overwhelming  retribution  than 
the  flagrant  abuse  of  freedom  of  the  press,  and  we 
find  all  violation  of  this  liberty,  and  misuse  of  such 
privilege  equally  self-destructive.  A  great  man  is  not 
easily  provoked  and  thinketh  no  evil,  and  the  greatest 
happiness  of  life  is  in  self-control.  It  is  a  principle  of 
freedom  of  the  press  that  it  must  be  maintained 
constructive  of  authority  and  destructive  of  treason. 
Some  people  are  always  picking  at  shadows  and 
deformities  unless  their  hands  and  minds  are  actively 
engaged,  but  we  must  all  learn  never  to  fret  about 
what  we  can  help  but  correct  every  fault  immediately, 
and  then  never  fret  about  what  cannot  be  corrected. 
The  public  press  is  the  tongue  of  the  people  and  its 
duty  is  to  express  freely  the  national  ideals,  con¬ 
stantly  guiding  to  higher,  better  planes  of  thought. 
All  men  have  equal  privileges  to  place  their  hobbies 
or  opinions  before  the  people  through  all  channels  of 
free  publication,  but  when  their  actions  pass  from  ex¬ 
pression  to  proselyting  methods,  there  is  at  once 
invoked  an  equally  just  and  meritorious  right  of 
counter  attack,  and  the  refusal  of  the  privilege  of 
attacks  and  counter  attacks  to  contending  opinions 
under  any  government  is  not  a  restraint  upon  free¬ 
dom  of  the  press.  The  peace  of  opinion  as  well  as 
the  peace  of  action  must  equally  be  preserved,  even 
though  it  gives  the  prevailing  opinion  some  seeming 
advantage. 

With  every  person  seated  in  authority  there  must 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 


81 


be  a  power  to  enforce  all  decrees,  and  at  the  same  time 
all  decrees  must  be  reasonable,  legal,  and  equitable. 
The  vote  of  a  people  can  generally  be  trusted  not  to 
nominate  or  elect  to  office  men  of  unsettled  or  ir¬ 
rational,  radical  ideals,  no  matter  if  these  ideals  may 
be  theoretically  sound.  A  person  in  authority,  even 
though  he  have  ideals,  is  a  representative  of  the  ideals 
of  other  men  and  not  his  own,  and  hence  must  neither 
govern  nor  be  governed  by  schools  of  thought  not 
already  incorporated  in  the  government  of  which  he 
is  a  part.  To  a  tyrannical  ruler  this  detracts  from 
the  pleasure  of  rule,  but  the  sound  common  sense  of  a 
democratic  people  seldom  elects  to  office  a  tyrannical 
mind,  and  quickly  deposes  such  men  from  authority, 
if  by  chance  they  have  passed  the  censorship  of  the 
mean  of  public  opinion.  A  monarch  cannot  use  for  a 
lieutenant  a  man  who  insists  upon  grafting  ideals  of 
democracy  upon  every  act  of  autocracy,  neither  can  a 
democratic  president  suffer  his  secretary,  who  may 
sincerely  believe  in  autocratic  principles  along  some 
particular  subject,  to  insistently  force  his  personal 
peculiar  radicalism  upon  every  assembly  of  state. 
For  every  ideal  is  radical  which  is  in  contradiction 
to  the  prevailing  thought  of  a  people.  Govern¬ 
ments  backed  by  a  conscious,  contented  public 
opinion  are  self -operative,  but  the  might  of  a  major¬ 
ity  is  often  quickly  dissipated  and  destroyed  by 
foolish  overconfidence,  when  a  show  of  force  is  relied 
upon  to  compel  obedience,  rather  than  to  arouse  the 
slower  but  infinitely  omnipotent  power  of  public 
opinion  to  arise  and  hurl  its  unquenchable  forces 
upon  the  disorder.  There  is  no  known  method  of 


82 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


attack  by  force  against  the  ideals  of  a  people,  once 
they  learn  to  think  and  reason  and  have  confidence  in 
leadership,  and  ideals  are  hereditary,  involuntary, 
active  conceptions  of  affairs,  which  it  takes  as  long 
to  change  and  subjugate  as  to  formulate  and  solidify. 
A  successful  press  must  learn,  observe  and  always 
reckon  with  these  latent  forces,  for  not  even  a  Sultan 
dares  openly  oppose  the  prejudices  and  fanaticisms 
of  his  people.  Missionaries  work  for  years  and 
discover  that  only  through  the  slow  processes  of 
publicity,  operative  upon  the  children  of  the  succeed¬ 
ing  generation,  can  tangible  results  be  obtained,  so 
that  all  reformers  must  have  patience  and  use  their 
right  to  reduce  their  thoughts  to  writing  and  place 
books  in  public  libraries  open  to  the  conquest  of  truth 
over  fallacy. 

We  cannot  separate  the  idea  of  government  from 
the  thought  of  regulation  by  laws  or  by  authority. 
If  the  precepts  of  authority  are  verbal  and  rest  in  the 
leadership  of  one  man,  we  find  the  evolution  very 
rapid  until  the  point  is  reached  where  public  opinion 
codifies  the  laws  as  their  first  act  of  freedom  of  the 
press,  and  this  first  act  is  destructive  of  that  very 
freedom  in  the  sense  of  depriving  that  freedom  of  its 
susceptibility  of  freedom  of  expression.  Yet  the 
codification  of  laws  is  an  act  of  freedom,  and  to 
receive  the  full  benefit  from  such  codification,  the 
tablets  should  never  be  wantonly  antagonized,  but 
every  change  proposed  be  submitted  to  popular  judg¬ 
ment,  and  added  to  the  accepted  rules  of  conduct 
whenever  popular  demand  so  decrees.  Conformity 
to  established  custom  and  regulation  is  not  only  the 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS  S3 

easiest  but  always  the  safest  and  best  control,  and  it 
is  a  violation  of  the  privilege  of  freedom  of  the  press 
to  urge  opposition  to  free  institutions  of  a  democratic 
people.  Political  evolution  comes  by  modifying, 
adding  to,  or  subtracting  from  constitutions,  and 
never  by  revolution,  and  as  evolution  is  always  con¬ 
servative,  the  spirit  of  the  press  of  a  nation  must 
always  be  conservative.  Men  rant  and  rave  because 
people  will  not  listen  to  them  and  flock  to  their 
standards,  little  realizing  that  their  supposed  new 
ideals  are  as  old  as  the  hills  but  have  never  been 
developed  to  withstand  the  acid  test  of  acceptance. 
A  homely  illustration  is  little  chickens  drinking 
water,  where  each  little  chicken  holds  up  his  bill,  so 
that  the  water  may  run  down  hill.  Each  ruler  is  for 
a  moment  given  authority  so  that  the  ideals  of  a 
people  may  be  further  crystallized  into  fruitage 
through  the  slow  evolution  of  progressive  thought. 
Look  at  the  magazines  of  generations  past  and  the 
reformer  of  to-day,  who  believes  himself  an  original 
genius,  will  find  discussions  in  every  library  dating 
back  all  the  way  from  one  to  a  hundred  years  upon 
woman’s  suffrage,  prohibition,  socialism,  and  every 
phase  of  education,  for  these  same  topics  have  been 
before  the  public  in  every  civilized  land  and  nation, 
but  have  not  been  put  into  actual  practice,  except  as 
the  evolution  of  progress  reaches  such  a  stage  as  to 
incorporate  these  practices  into  the  popular  life  to 
which  the  people  are  educated.  To  educate  a  people 
to  a  point  where  they  see  the  advisability  of  reform  is 
the  part  of  the  press,  but  reformers  cannot  individ¬ 
ually  perceive  that  all  reforms  consist  of  non-essen- 


84 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


tials,  else  they  could  not  be  inoperative,  as  whereas, 
voting  is  an  essential,  although  woman’s  suffrage  may 
be  desirable,  just,  and  beneficial,  it  is  not  essential  to 
popular  vote,  although  in  an  amazonian  common¬ 
wealth  it  might  be  the  entire  vote.  Whether  society 
can  reach  a  condition  of  relationship,  where  there 
can  be  complete  individual  equality  either  in  the 
family  life  or  the  political  life,  is  questionable,  be¬ 
cause  where  there  is  authority,  there  must  be  subjec¬ 
tion  to  authority,  and  all  order  of  conduct  is  based 
upon  authority. 

The  press  of  a  nation  evolves  and  creates  the 
thoughts  of  the  people,  but  it  is  not  the  function  of 
the  press  to  drive  or  lead  the  people  into  these 
avenues  of  thought.  Freedom  of  the  press  must  not 
conflict  with  freedom  of  the  individual  or  in  national 
fife  with  freedom  of  majorities  of  individuals.  Every 
generation  must  learn  anew  the  history  of  all  na¬ 
tional  free  institutions,  to  reverence  these  and  make 
no  radical  change  inadvisedly.  That  is  why  almost 
impenetrable  safeguards  are  placed  around  constitu¬ 
tional  or  judicial  amendments,  because  the  oversight 
of  experience,  experiment,  and  tradition  has  been  the 
cause  of  downfall  of  both  monarchies  and  republics  in 
the  past  and  will  be  the  downfall  of  any  land  and 
people  which  forgets  to  respect  established  precedent 
and  order.  And  as  we  compare  modern  law  with  all 
the  codified  laws  of  which  history  has  record,  we  are 
surprised  to  find  how  little  variance  appears  in  law, 
the  variance  generally  appearing  in  the  respect  for 
law,  which  then  is  the  real  test  of  the  height  and 
power  of  civilization  in  a  nation.  The  power  of  a 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 


85 


ruling  authority  is  likewise  not  a  measure  of  respect 
for  law  because  fear  is  not  respect,  but  is  the  cause  of 
the  downfall  of  authority,  because  the  moment  the 
restraining  power  is  lost  or  disappears,  there  being 
no  respect  for  authority,  the  sane  rule  of  reason  is  at 
once  overwhelmed  by  revolution.  The  free  press  of 
a  nation  is  therefore  a  most  important  instrument  to 
constantly  maintain  respect  for  law  and  authority 
and  hold  the  ship  of  state  constantly  directed  toward 
the  goal  of  healthy  political  virtue. 

The  ideals  of  a  nation  are  a  granite  wall  against 
which  it  is  nonsense  to  beat  one’s  head,  or  to  attempt 
to  push  them  down.  Penetration  can  be  made  only 
by  the  slow  drill  of  conscientious  effort  or  like  the  man 
in  the  rushing  torrent,  swim  to  the  shore  by  yielding 
to  the  tide,  yet  constantly  working  across  the  current. 
The  foaming  torrent  is  not  quenched,  but  rushing  to 
the  sea,  seeking  its  level,  is  again  evaporated  and 
carried  inland  by  the  winds  of  which  it  is  said  we  know 
not  whence  they  come  or  whither  they  go.  So  the 
civilizations  of  nations  spring  up  themselves  in  fruit¬ 
age  for  men,  and  the  great  need  of  every  age  is  for 
harvesters  to  gather  and  distribute  the  harvests, 
rather  than  for  teachers  who  speak  things  they  under¬ 
stand  not  of.  Popular  education  however  will  ac¬ 
complish  a  gradual  equalization  of  personal  develop¬ 
ment  among  all  the  people,  and  is  the  greatest  safe¬ 
guard  of  every  free  institution.  The  free  press  ac¬ 
quires  the  widest  and  most  influential  educational 
power  in  a  democracy,  and  without  it  no  definite 
representative  action  can  continue,  because  if  the 
electors  of  representatives  are  ignorant,  who  shall  be 


86  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

the  choosers?  Power  which  names  its  successor  is 
monarchy,  so  we  prove  beyond  controversion  that 
absolute  liberty  of  the  press  is  one  of  the  funda¬ 
mental  elements  of  a  government  of  the  people,  by 
the  people,  and  for  the  people,  and  in  its  proper  chan¬ 
nels  cannot  be  denied  unrestricted  right  of  ex¬ 
pression  of  every  individual  and  national  ideal. 

It  is  an  inalienable  right  for  any  citizen  to  hold 
such  opinion,  dogma,  doctrine,  or  creed  as  he  may 
adhere  to,  and  to  follow  any  occupation,  trade,  or 
pursuit  he  may  desire,  if  not  contrary  to  the  estab¬ 
lished  national  order,  and  every  man  is  presumed 
innocent  of  wrong  doing,  until  proved  guilty.  Ex¬ 
pression  of  opinion  by  a  free  press  as  to  the  guilt  of  an 
accused  person  may  be  not  merely  unjust  but  legally 
a  misdemeanor  without  any  curtailment  of  the  right 
of  freedom  of  the  press  resulting;  for  lack  of  respect 
of  courts  is  contempt  of  court,  and  no  matter  how 
powerful  the  press  may  be,  it  must  be  subject  to  the 
same  autnoiity  as  applies  to  individuals.  Every 
man  shall  have  freedom  to  pursue  his  own  happiness, 
secure  in  all  his  personal  rights,  for  equality  consists 
in  treating  inequalities  as  equals.  Sudden  action 
must  be  made  impossible,  in  order  to  create  thought 
and  discussion  before  action,  for  we  find  that  dis- 
interested  parties  are  always  the  best  judges,  as  we 
require  every  member  of  a  jury  to  be  disinterested 
ana  uninformed,  at  least  to  such  a  degree  as  not  to 
have  formed  an  opinion.  The  religion  of  true  De¬ 
mocracy  is  the  spirit  of  impartial  justice  and  freedom 
both  of  opinion  and  of  the  expression  of  opinion.  The 
pi  ess  must  learn  to  call  right  right,  and  wrong  wrong. 


87 


LIBERTY  OF  THE  PRESS 

to  face  the  tasks  of  life  with  sympathy,  and  yet  to 
teach  men  with  caution,  authority,  and  discretion. 
The  safest  rule  is  to  honor  every  noble  charitable  act, 
destroying  evil  by  refusing  it  publicity,  for  it  is  error 
to  say  that  there  can  be  no  harm  in  the  publicity  of 
evil  things,  as  many  have  stated  in  defense  of  free¬ 
dom  of  the  press,  for  base  things  need  universal 
condemnation,  like  weeds  to  be  rooted  up  and  burned 
by  the  fire.  Yet  facts  concerning  actual  problems 
and  experiences  of  life,  straight  forward,  sincere  and 
honest  expressions  of  truths,  lend  a  moral  purpose  to 
crown  justice  with  mercy  and  charity  with  instruc¬ 
tion.  The  press  of  a  nation  guides  the  development 
of  self-reliance  and  fair  play  among  all  citizens,  creat¬ 
ing  the  self-expression  of  independent  judgment.  The 
press  never  gives  reasons  for  opinions,  for  it  is  and 
must  be  only  a  reflector  of  opinions  and  judgments, 
in  theory  at  least,  and  how  publicity  can  build  up 
reputed  character  is  shown  by  the  popular  concep¬ 
tion  of  many  a  man,  small  in  stature,  as  a  giant,  as  he 
may  indeed  be  mentally.  The  powerful  agency  of  a 
free  democratic  press  has  an  increasingly  important 
responsibility  as  the  independent  thought  of  a  people 
is  encouraged  and  developed  and  their  self-directive 
thought  learns  initiative,  both  from  majorities  and 
minorities,  as  each  successively  arises  to  power  and 
falls. 

In  all  civilized  states  the  public  press  is  the  guard¬ 
ian  of  national  ethics  as  we  may  call  the  national 
conscience.  The  rectitude  of  actions  and  transac¬ 
tions  is  often  far  different  from  the  legality,  and  no 
greater  fear  terrorizes  the  hearts  of  the  parasites  of 


88 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

society  than  exposure  in  the  columns  of  some  arm  of 
public  opinion.  Law  can  never  reach  or  regulate 
conscience  or  rather  lack  of  conscience,  but  public 
opinion  can  and  does  change  all  history  and  govern¬ 
ment  action  by  reasonable  demands,  so  that  in  the 
long  run  conditions  are  equalized  to  permit  the  freeest 
possible  play  of  all  individual  and  collective  forces. 
The  expression  of  public  opinion  comes  through  a 
free  press,  and  only  by  this  power  can  society  be  pro¬ 
tected  against  combinations  of  unscrupulous  men  to 
control  trade  and  industry  to  the  permanent  dis¬ 
advantage  of  all  competitors.  Silence  every  com¬ 
plaint,  and  leave  the  darkness  of  slavery;  destroy 
every  personal  ideal,  and  leave  the  helplessness  of  the 
lack  of  co-operation  and  fair  play;  interfere  with  the 
free  expression  of  all  initiative  and  genius,  and  leave 
the  black  despair  of  tyranny  and  oppression.  Equit¬ 
able  conditions  must  be  maintained,  there  must  be  a 
medium  for  complaints  and  accusations  open  to 
scrutiny,  and  there  must  be  a  method  to  show  the 
application  of  experiences  of  the  past  to  the  problems 
of  the  present,  in  order  that  the  sovereign  people  may 
express  opinions.  They  must  not  only  have  opinions 
to  express  but  facts  must  be  provided  to  them,  upon 
which  to  base  opinions,  and  the  duty  of  a  free  press 
is  continuously  to  act  as  the  operative  and  operating 
medium  to  convey  opinions  from  mind  to  mind, 
until  the  assembled  national  thought  reaches  mature 
growth  and  manifestation  in  its  appeal  to  the  hearts 
of  men. 


GOOD  GOVERNMENT 


GOOD  Government  is  to  a  nation  what  a  level 
head  is  to  the  individual,  and  no  more  diffi¬ 
cult  field  of  labor  can  be  suggested  than  the 
field  of  Public  Service.  The  lack  of  confidence  of  the 
public  in  politicians  is  wrong  and  harmful,  and  the 
thinking  public  must  learn  to  view  public  works  and 
workers  with  magnanimous  charity,  for  constant 
censure  and  fear  of  popular  disapproval  will  break 
down  the  strongest  public  servant.  It  is  customary 
for  men  to  view  all  quasi-public  corporations  and 
construction  companies  as  graftingly  dishonest, 
whereas  the  bidder  should  be  judged  worthy  of  his 
contract,  and  measured  only  by  his  ability  to  serve 
the  public.  Good  men  have  been  lost  and  destroyed 
for  political  service  by  the  slander  of  hasty  judgment, 
decreeing  that  every  malicious  hint  of  the  betrayal 
of  public  confidence  was  true,  whereas  none  of  our 
citizens  need  protection  from  unjust  criticism  more 
than  our  politicians,  whether  independents  or  work¬ 
ing  in  machines.  It  is  a  patriotic  duty  of  every  citi¬ 
zen  of  a  republic  to  render  honor,  obedience,  and 
respect  to  every  leader,  whether  elected  or  appointed, 
and  where  they  have  to  the  best  of  their  ability  and 
understanding  served  the  public,  regard  them  as  the 
friends  of  the  community,  entitled  to  favor  and 
gratitude. 


89 


90 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


New  candidates  cannot  step  into  political  powder 
and  run  a  government  without  experience  and  train¬ 
ing,  for  without  preliminary  association  with  the  party 
members  and  government  machinery,  it  is  as  great 
folly  to  expect  to  run  a  government,  as  to  expect  to 
run  a  big  business  without  preparation.  Business  men 
know  political  machines  are  absolutely  essential  to 
good  government  and  the  popular  craze  to  destroy 
every  political  school  of  thought  must  cease,  for  the 
destruction  of  political  machines  means  anarchy.  No 
party  machine  refuses  a  good  man,  true,  tried,  and 
actively  useful,  an  opportunity  to  make  good  with  the 
people;  indeed  such  men  are  eagerly  sought  for,  and 
over  and  over  again,  entire  communities  are  canvassed 
to  find  suitable  leaders.  Politics  is  a  big  business, 
and  no  man  should  be  elected  to  high  office  whose  only 
qualification  is  some  impractical  notion  of  petty 
reform.  Good  Government  is  a  business  proposi¬ 
tion,  not  a  fad;  the  men  who  manage  politics  must 
understand  how  to  run  the  machine,  as  much  as  a 
soldier  must  understand  a  rifle;  he  must  not  merely 
know  how  to  shoot,  but  what  is  much  more  impor¬ 
tant,  how  to  load,  clean,  and  care  for  the  gun.  Make 
politics  an  honorable  profession,  as  it  should  be,  for 
every  great  future  prospect  depends  upon  the  confi¬ 
dence  in,  and  public-spirited  unselfish  service  of,  our 
politicians. 

No  patriotic  citizen,  enraptured  by  charitable 
emotion,  can  afford  to  sacrifice  good  business  talent, 
simply  to  cast  himself  upon  the  altar  of  political 
reform.  Our  President,  in  the  present  crisis,  does 
not  request  public  service  employees  to  quit  their 


GOOD  GOVERNMENT 


91 


jobs  and  enlist,  for  every  job  is  a  man’s  job,  and  every 
man  engaged  in  useful  service  is  engaged  in  patriotic 
duty.  Practical  co-operation  of  good  men  is  what  is 
needed  in  politics.  Some  one  has  to  do  the  work, 
some  one  has  to  organize,  some  one  has  to  keep  ac¬ 
counts,  to  meet  committees,  to  write  up  opinions, 
to  estimate  and  to  perform.  The  influence  of  every 
politician  with  his  friends  and  acquaintances  is  a 
sacred  power,  a  confidential  relation;  and  what  we 
want  to  do  is  to  promote  social  appreciation  and  as¬ 
sistance,  to  treat  as  honorable  every  political  aspira¬ 
tion,  to  legislate  wisely,  if  at  all.  Government  offi¬ 
cials  deserve  appreciation  and  credit  for  every  good 
service  rendered,  and  we  should  extend  to  them  this 
courtesy  on  every  possible  occasion.  Party  leaders 
and  the  servants  of  the  government  are  vexed  and 
discouraged  by  the  indifference  of  the  public  to  good 
service,  and  the  time  is  here  to  vote  men  into  office 
for  competent  activity  only,  and  then  stand  up  for 
their  integrity  when  elected  to  office.  Salaries  of 
public  office  holders  are  seldom  very  high,  but  always 
capable  of  supporting  the  office  in  reasonable  com¬ 
fort,  and  taken  as  a  whole,  the  management  of  party 
distribution  of  offices  is  fair  and  the  candidates  are 
fit  for  service. 

The  Government  administration  of  every  com¬ 
munity  should,  as  far  as  possible,  follow  the  plan 
of  a  business  corporation,  under  civil  service  laws, 
founded  in  personal  efficiency  for  work  in  all  offices 
both  appointive  and  elective.  The  political  evils 
of  office  trading  can  be  best  alleviated  in  this  way, 
and  the  public  saved  from  the  loss  of  service  when 


n 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


experienced  men  are  thrown  out  of  office  at  a  change 
of  administration,  and  new,  inexperienced  men  take 
their  places.  Often  political  leaders  are  so  unselfish 
and  regardful  of  service  rendered  by  aides  in  the 
party  that  when  offices  are  requested  for  the  faithful, 
they  cannot  refuse,  and  here  at  least  laws  are  gen¬ 
erally  beneficial  to  make  such  refusal  imperative  and 
not  optional  with  the  boss.  There  is  a  higher  stand¬ 
ard  of  political  service  to-day  than  ever  before,  as  the 
politician  realizes  he  actually  serves  as  a  trustee  in 
charge  of  public  funds,  and  all  that  is  needed  is 
public  emphasis  of  the  trust  relationship  to  make  his 
fidelity  assured.  There  is  very  little  unfairness  in 
politics  and  business  as  a  matter  of  fact,  and  good 
wages  from  employers  to  employees  is  the  best  profit- 
sharing  plan  devisable.  There  is  a  happy  mean 
which  permits  fair  profits  and  fair  compensation, 
and  the  action  of  supply  and  demand  both  for  labor 
and  produce  strikes  this  equality  much  closer  than 
most  of  us  imagine. 

Our  constitution  grants  to  individual  men  per¬ 
sonal  liberty  in  employment,  in  investments,  in 
business,  in  home  life,  and  in  political  and  social 
activity,  and  we  cannot  have  free  government  and 
undue  interference  with  this  personal  liberty  at  the 
same  time.  Men  act  upon  their  own  initiative  with 
intuitive  enterprise  and  energy,  but  to  use  the  govern¬ 
ment  as  a  guiding  star  to  every  business  man,  is  a 
dangerous  policy.  Not  only  does  such  policy  tend 
to  create  thousands  of  office  holders  worse  than 
useless,  but  the  citizen  gets  out  of  the  habit  of  inde¬ 
pendent  thought,  and  incapable  of  achievement. 


GOOD  GOVERNMENT  93 

Every  man  has  different  talents,  and  he  gains  strength 
and  power  by  working  out  his  own  salvation.  What 
we  require  is  free  opportunity  for  business  to  expand, 
and  the  ultimate  outcome  we  can  safely  trust  to  the 
common  sense  of  the  American  people.  It  is  not  fair 
for  a  man  to  risk  great  loss  and  be  entitled  to  incon¬ 
siderable  profits  only,  and  the  success  of  business 
cannot  be  guaranteed  by  the  government,  so  that 
therefore  freedom  to  contract  and  be  bound  by  con¬ 
tract  is  clearly  best  for  all,  and  even  if  some  lose 
money  at  times,  they  gain  in  shrewdness  and  ex¬ 
perience.  That  nation  serves  its  people  best  which 
provides  a  systematic  rule,  simple  yet  enforced,  and 
with  no  room  in  practical  politics  for  experimental 
movements.  We  have  a  good  and  complete  consti¬ 
tution,  founded  in  liberty  and  justice,  which  guaran¬ 
tees  security  to  life  and  property;  and  the  one  great 
and  important  objective  of  Government  is  to  see  that 
justice  and  security  are  established  for  all  men,  that 
business  contracts  are  enforced,  and  that  security  of 
the  person  and  property  is  assured  to  all. 

The  great  dangers,  which  from  time  to  time  ap¬ 
parently  threaten  our  free  institutions,  are  imaginary 
rather  than  real,  for  naturally  in  political  life,  as 
in  every  other  evolution  of  activity,  agitations  and 
shifts  of  policy  occur  at  random,  but  we  have  a 
foundation  bulwark  in  our  national  constitution  that 
can  only  by  a  long  series  of  deliberations  be  amended, 
let  alone  infringed  upon,  by  vacillation  of  public 
opinion,  so  that  fears  of  despotism  are  unfounded  in 
this  republic.  When  cliques  of  men  appear  to  hold 
a  temporary  restricted  balance  of  power,  it  is  never- 


94 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


theless  the  duty  of  every  citizen  to  obey,  until  by 
elective  measures  right  again  triumphs,  in  order  that 
righteousness  be  maintained;  and  in  no  wise  should 
criticism  and  antagonisms  be  hurled  at  every  office 
holder,  thereby  depriving  all  of  efficient  government 
service,  for  submission  to  authority  and  good-will 
toward  authority  are  joint  virtues  and  at  all  times 
commendable.  We  must  regard  honest  differences 
of  opinion  as  the  personal  rights  and  privileges  of  all 
men,  for  our  liberties  are  secured  to  us  only  by  the 
constant  pressure  of  law  and  order.  Men  are  in¬ 
fluenced  by  ambition,  and  oftentimes  by  selfish  in¬ 
terest,  but  the  medicine  is  more  dangerous  than  the 
disease  when  the  rule  of  authority  is  violated.  We 
have  established  tribunals  of  justice  and  general 
acceptance  of  their  conclusions,  as  founded  in  the  best 
public  policy  and  wisdom,  is  essential  to  the  preser¬ 
vation  of  peace  and  order. 

We  must  trust  our  legislatures  and  respect  our 
courts,  for  it  is  dangerous  equally  for  lawmakers  and 
law  interpreters  to  have  their  opinions  swayed  by 
fears  of  public  disapproval.  Uphold  the  arms  of 
those  who  independently  decide  for  the  right  as  they 
see  the  right,  and  let  us  have  courageous  men  in 
legislative  halls  and  on  the  bench;  and  always  re¬ 
member  that  the  essential  attribute  of  law  is  to 
afford  protection  to  life  and  property,  and  security 
for  business  development  and  operation,  and  not  to 
please  or  be  biased  by  public  opinion,  no  matter  how 
urgent  some  temporary  need  may  appear.  We  must 
establish  and  maintain  absolute  justice,  not  only  for 
this  generation  but  for  other  generations  yet  unborn. 


GOOD  GOVERNMENT  95 

to  hand  down  to  them  a  worthy  inheritance,  to  main¬ 
tain  firm  and  true,  measured  by  the  square  of  justice 
and  fair  impartial  competition,  our  magna  charta  of 
the  equal  rights  of  men  to  education,  self-develop¬ 
ment,  and  selective  employment,  to  permit  no  tem¬ 
porary  majority  to  sway  the  subjection  of  a  sovereign 
people  to  lawful  authority,  self-imposed  and  self- 
established,  and  finally  to  preserve  inviolate  these 
established  liberties  of  a  free  and  independent  people. 


THE  BIG  BROTHER  IDEA 


WHEN  aman  uses  liis  ability  and  wealth  simply 
to  add  to  wealth,  what  is  his  profit?  It  is  an 
old  French  theory  that  the  wealth  of  neither 
the  individual  nor  the  nation  can  ever  be  measured 
in  terms  of  money ;  for  suppose  the  national  resources 
were  reduced  to  a  heap  of  gold,  without  ability  to 
use  or  trade  the  gold,  where  would  be  the  value?  So 
the  scientist  has  told  us  that  there  can  be  no  music 
except  as  there  are  ears  to  hear,  and  no  such  thing  as 
beauty  except  there  be  eyes  to  see.  So  there  is  no 
true  use  of  ability  and  wealth  of  the  individual  except 
in  the  high  enjoyment  of  service  to  others.  Where 
is  the  satisfaction  in  having  a  dozen  beefsteaks  cooked 
and  ready  to  eat  when  the  appetite  is  already  ap¬ 
peased?  Of  what  use  are  a  dozen  extra  beds,  or 
coats,  or  houses,  or  lands,  beyond  personal  needs? 
So  the  man  who  spends  his  life  filling  bags  of  wealth, 
with  never  a  moment  of  peace  or  pleasure,  with  never 
a  thought  of  assisting  some  distressed  brother,  leads 
the  narrowest  life  imaginable.  And  there  is  a  larger 
idea  of  a  household  than  the  immediate  family,  for  we 
all  succeed  by  treading  the  toil-trodden  ways  worn 
by  others.  The  trails  to  the  gold  fields  were  marked 
by  the  whitened  bones  of  those  who  had  failed  to 
reach  the  promised  land,  but  these  very  hideous  re¬ 
mains  guided  others  along  the  same  road  to  success, 

96 


THE  BIG  BROTHER  IDEA  97 

and  so  likewise  our  great  organized  industries  have 

reared  their  success  upon  the  multifold  failures  of 
little  men. 

But  nobler  far  is  the  spirit  of  self-sacrifice  to  assist 
or  save  another.  The  African  ants,  to  cross  a  stream, 
will  foirn  a  rope  of  live  bodies,  over  the  water,  and 
the  entire  ant  army  passes  over,  but  those  forming  the 
bridge  are  usually  washed  downstream  and  sacrifice 
their  lives.  We  love  ability,  great  thoughts,  and  self- 

saciifice;  and  the  greatest  results  follow  the  most  in¬ 
tense  self-denial. 

Abraham  Lincoln  studied  books  at  night  by  the 
light  of  a  pine  torch,  and  Harriet  Beecher  Stowe 
received  her  inspiration  of  “  Uncle  Toms  Cabin”  and 
wrote  the  book  in  spare  moments  between  household 
duties  and  rocking  the  baby  to  sleep.  The  first 
American  1  hanksgiving  Day  followed  pitifully  small 
crops,  grown  with  infinite  toil  and  care,  upon  the 
bleak  J\  ew  England  Coast,  by  the  survivors  from  the 
Mayflower,  after  more  than  half  the  gallant  com- 
pany  had  perished  from  disease  and  exposure,  and 
our  piesent  is  builded  upon  their  struggles  and  sor- 
iows.  It  is  the  labor  of  our  toiling  brothers  that 
builds  our  homes  and  roads,  that  mines  the  coal, 
iion,  and  precious  metals,  and  provides  the  industry 
for  expanding  trade.  As  the  champion  runner  neared 
the  goal,  he  thought  of  his  friend,  who  had  never  won 
a  prize,  but  who,  with  distressed,  panting  breath,  was 
trying  to  overtake  him,  and  he  slackened  his  pace 
and  allowed  the  friend  to  win.  Was  it  worth  while? 
A  young  man  in  the  relentless  rush  of  business  care 
lemembeied  a  mother  who  had  watched  over  him  in 


98 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


years  gone  by,  and  sacrificed  all  to  train  him  for  the 
career  of  fame.  He  bestowed  in  return  a  little  com¬ 
panionship,  and  gave  comfort  to  the  declining  years, 
and  was  it  worth  while? 

Yes,  when  you  see  a  distressed  brother,  stop  a 
minute,  give  a  little  assistance  to  his  relief,  and  bring 
a  little  pleasure  and  comfort;  and  ask  him  in  turn 
to  pass  it  on  to  increase  the  good-will  of  men  to  men. 
When  the  father  brings  home  the  presents  for  Christ¬ 
mas,  is  not  the  enjoyment  of  the  family  his  greatest 
pleasure?  The  Big  Brother  Idea  is  the  big  human 
family,  and  there  is  so  much  in  friendship  that  we 
can  never  say  time  is  not  well  spent  in  ’cultivating  the 
brother  spirit  one  with  another.  As  Lord  Byron 
wrote : 


“It  must  be  so,  ’tis  not  for  self, 

That  we  so  tremble  on  the  brink, 

And  striving  to  o’erleap  the  gulf 
Yet  cling  to  being’s  severing  link. 

Oh,  in  that  future  let  us  think 

To  hold  each  heart  the  heart  that  shares, 
With  them  the  immortal  waters  drink, 
And  soul  in  soul  grow  deathless  theirs.” 


OUR  NATIONAL  UNITY 


^MERICA  looks  forward  to  a  time  when  there 

neither  North  nor  South,  East  nor 
A.  JL  West,  border  nor  breed  nor  birth;  where  here 
a  united  people  will  declare  again  they  have  estab¬ 
lished  once  for  all  a  free  race;  where  liberty  and  truth 
shall  flourish,  beyond  the  fettering  influence  of  the 
illusionary  power  of  accumulated  wealth;  when  no 
longer  shall  a  crown  of  thorns  be  pressed  upon  the 
brow  of  labor,  nor  mankind  be  crucified  upon  a  cross 
of  gold. 

Our  national  ideal  must  rest  upon  a  foundation  of 
brotherhood  and  understanding  with  all  our  people, 
for,  after  all,  both  capital  and  labor,  men,  women,  and 
children,  have  similar  interests,  needs,  and  aspira¬ 
tions.  Our  government  has  full  right  to  assist, 
advise,  and  direct  the  work  and  welfare  of  all  its 
citizens  to  useful  and  productive  channels,  for  as  in 
time  of  war  and  peril  such  right  is  admitted,  so  as 
times  of  peril  are  always  with  us,  such  right  is  also 
ever  a  part  of  our  legal  fibre.  We  must  go  much 
further  than  simply  to  regulate  life  and  work  in 
factory  and  tenement;  idlers  must  be  compelled  to 
work;  then  the  sick  and  diseased  must  be  eliminated, 
and  the  enemies  of  our  institutions  be  defeated. 
To  do  this  we  must  again  survey  ou,r  Constitution, 
our  ideals  and  national  aims,  unify  and  codify  all 

99 


100 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


objectives  and  revive  a  national  unity.  Woe  to  any 
man  who  refuses  to  stretch  out  a  helping  hand  to  a 
needy  brother,  but  how  much  mo,re  to  a  government 
which  is  heedless  of  the  well-being  of  its  people?  We 
must  get  down  to  facts,  and  not  fool  the  people 
with  impossible  promises  and  not  encourage  imprac¬ 
tical  idealism. 

We  are  not  morally  sincere  in  many  of  our  vaunted 
policies,  and  our  leaders,  both  politicians,  preachers, 
and  capitalists,  are  not  squarely  meeting  the  great 
questions  of  state,  but,  rather,  evade  liability  and 
deny  justice.  Legislation  of  duplicate,  confusing 
taxation  upon  incomes,  realty,  and  personalty  stands 
on  our  statute  books,  and  laws  of  crude,  violent  anti¬ 
trust  regulation  are  ridiculous  in  the  light  of  the  need 
of  a  tax  with  an  object  to  produce  income,  equally 
distributed  and  rated  to  all  citizens,  and  the  regula¬ 
tion  of  our  business,  commerce,  and  manufacturing 
plants  to  increase  efficiency  and  productiveness,  and 
accomplish  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  number. 
I  well  remember  at  college  how  easy  a  translation 
became  when  we  took  a  pony  and  retraced  our  work, 
and  how  easily  we  reached  the  solution  of  a  difficult 
problem  in  algebra  when  we  looked  at  the  answer 
first  and  then  worked  backward.  So  in  government 
we  need  statesmen  who  will  study  the  ultimate  ends 
in  view  and  then  direct  legislation  toward  objective 
ideals,  so  that  the  attainment  of  commensurate  re¬ 
sults  may  be  assured.  Centre  the  cumulative  force 
and  power  of  all  our  legislative  and  regulative  forces 
upon  the  temporal  and  physical  welfare  of  every 
wage-earner,  farmer,  mechanic,  and  business  man  to 


OUR  NATIONAL  UNITY 


101 


co-ordinate  and  consolidate  and  converge  to  a  com¬ 
mon  focus  the  industrial  and  commercial  interests  of 
America. 

A  farmer  discharged  his  workman  for  inefficiency 
after  years  of  service,  and  heard  this  complaint: 
“When  I  am  old  and  sick  I  am  fired,  although  I  have 
worked  so  hard  at  such  low  wages,  I  have  saved 
nothing.  When  the  old  mare  got  sick  you  sent  for 
the  horse  doctor,  gave  her  a  warm  bed  and  the  best 
of  food  and  care.”  Has  a  government  any  interest  in 
the  governed  beyond  collecting  taxes  and  administer¬ 
ing  affairs  of  state,  and  can  we  not  see  the  principle 
that  a  nation  is  like  life,  for  we  can  bring  nothing  into 
this  world  and  we  can  take  nothing  out?  No  man 
can  rob  the  nation  by  active  work  in  its  industrial 
fields,  but  he  does  rob  his  nation  by  being  himself 
idle,  inefficient,  and  non-productive.  At  the  Federal 
Military  Training  Camp  appeared  a  tendency  for  the 
government  to  extend  its  care  for  the  men  of  the  army 
to  civilians  by  supporting  free  dispensaries.  So  great 
was  the  success  that  in  addition  to  all  the  men  under¬ 
going  several  physical  examinations,  on  some  days 
as  high  as  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  some  companies 
applied  for  free  treatment  and  advice.  No  man  left 
the  training  camp  without  invaluable  information 
and  benefit,  and  if  these  picked  men  found  such  re¬ 
quirements  for  free  dispensary  service,  how  great 
must  be  the  terrible  need  of  the  crowded  tenements 
of  our  cities,  where  vice  and  disease  rule.  While  we 
encourage  the  immigration  of  millions  of  unfortu¬ 
nates  to  our  shores  from  foreign  lands,  we  fully  neglect 
not  only  the  countless  hordes  of  our  cities,  but  the 


102 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


great  masses  of  our  citizens,  except  as  fickle  private 
liumanitarianism  inefficiently  reaches  out  aid  and 
succor. 

There  is  no  government  in  the  world  to-day  that 
rises  to  such  high  theoretical  conception  of  true 
civilization  as  the  United  States.  But  there  is  like¬ 
wise  no  nation  so  disorganized  and  so  lacking  in  the 
enforcement  of  its  idealism.  Our  flag  flies  over  cor¬ 
ruption  and  intrigue,  over  neglect  and  wastefulness, 
over  careless  indifference  and  inefficiency.  But 
the  powers  of  corrective  right  living  are  marching 
on,  groping  blindly  in  darkness,  but  still  with  pur¬ 
pose  and  good  intentions.  Do  we  fear  imperialism, 
or  militarism,  or  churchism,  or  capitalism,  or  what 
do  we  fear,  that  we  hold  back  and  refuse  to  vindi¬ 
cate  the  institutions  of  our  Commonwealth?  As 
our  President  has  said,  let  ;us  “establish  justice, 
not  only,  but  justice  with  a  heart  in  it,  justice  with 
a  pulse  in  it,  justice  with  sympathy  in  it.”  Our 
Constitution  is  our  citadel  of  refuge  against  popu¬ 
lar  upheaval,  our  “Ark  of  the  Covenant”  to  divide 
the  waters  of  confusion,  the  light  we  have  followed 
now  for  a  century  and  a  half.  Can  we  abandon 
these  ideals,  this  unity,  this  great  Commonwealth 
to  policies  of  inefficiency?  Then  revive  the  spirit 
once  again  of  sturdy  American  manhood,  clearing  the 
waste  land,  toiling  at  forge  and  factory,  roving  over 
seas  and  oceans,  and  able  and  willing  to  bear  arms 
and  shoot  guns  in  defense  of  American  ideals.  I  ask 
again,  what  are  we  afraid  of  and  what  holds  us  back? 
Come  forward,  then,  talented  and  educated  men  of 
the  country,  and  be  leaders  of  this  people.  America 


OUR  NATIONAL  UNITY 


103 


calls  her  business  men  to  band  together,  stand  to¬ 
gether,  and  actively  co-operate  with  the  Government 
of  these  United  States  to  stamp  once  more  inviolate 
upon  our  standards  the  watchword  “Unity.” 


NATIONAL  DEFENSE 


AMERICANS  have  so  long  listened  to  the  story 
that  they  lead  the  world,  that  tranquilly  they 
rest  on  their  laurels,  while  investigations 
whitewash  our  fellow-patriots  and  prove  conclusively 
that  everything  is  improving.  Have  we  lost  the  art 
of  doing  things  and  applying  the  knowledge  and  in¬ 
formation  to  our  own  need?  Must  we  admit  that  our 
youth  have  not  the  old-time  snap  of  discipline  and 
responsiveness  and  the  ability  to  apply  mind  and 
body  in  clear  thought  and  action?  How  can  we 
expect  boys  to  develop  active  brains  and  strong, 
supple  muscles  seated  at  a  desk  all  day,  dressed  up  to 
kill,  smoking  cigarettes  and  chewing  gum  on  the  sly? 
Men  are  not  made  that  way,  and  such  methods  also 
produce  a  rather  insipid  style  of  womanhood.  I  am 
right,  because  I  have  seen  it,  felt  it,  lived  through  it 
all,  and  met  the  humiliating  admission  that  the  mod¬ 
ern  system  of  intense  academic  education  is  funda¬ 
mentally  wrong  in  at  least  this  one  particular. 

Now  the  reaction  turns  to  football,  hockey,  auto¬ 
mobile  races,  fishing  trips,  raising  fancy  chickens  and 
pet  dogs,  but  everything  must  tend  to  be  polite  and 
aristocratic,  must  be  absolutely  non-productive  and 
artistic,  and  if  the  least  trace  of  worthy  efficient 
action  or  intention  appears,  the  caste  is  lost,  and  the 
culprit  is  condemned  to  social  oblivion.  And  if  one 

104 


NATIONAL  DEFENSE 


105 


of  these  society  lions  seeks  a  job  it  must  be  as  broker, 
gambler,  office  clerk,  real  estate  and  insurance  agent, 
speculator,  developer  or  designer  of  fancy  cards  and 
rugs,  or  in  literature,  or  politics,  or  even  a  position  of 
salesman  for  automobiles  might  pass  as  proper,  but 
the  man  who  looks  forward  to  being  an  inventor,  a 
machinist,  a  detective,  a  policeman,  a  soldier,  a  sailor, 
or  even  a  practical  farmer,  my,  how  quickly  the 
mighty  fall.  Because  these  things  are  not  taught  in 
the  public  schools,  because  the  youth  are  not  taught 
a  practical  knowledge  of  agriculture,  mechanics,  and 
commerce,  because  boys  are  no  longer  apprenticed 
to  those  who  understand  trades,  these  conditions 
have  come  to  pass.  We  hate  to  face  the  naked 
truth,  but  am  I  so  far  from  a  home  thrust? 

Now,  turn  to  this  new  idea  of  the  Federal  Military 
Training  Camp,  which  is  most  properly  started  with 
recruits  from  our  universities  of  learning,  to  prove 
that  American  gentlemen  can  dig  ditches,  shoot  guns, 
wash  clothes,  walk,  run,  and  live  for  a  whole  month 
at  a  time  in  active  country  life.  We  never  would 
have  believed  it  possible,  but  it  has  been  done.  How 
quickly  the  soldier  snaps  up  his  back,  with  head  erect, 
the  flabid  muscles  stiffen,  and  instantly  every  com¬ 
mand  is  obeyed,  for  the  soldier  finds  himself  one  of 
many,  and  never  a  man  dares  fail  in  the  least  particu¬ 
lar.  Not  only  the  strategy  of  military  tactics  is 
taught;  far  more  important  is  the  compliance  with 
sanitary  laws  and  regulations,  regular  hours  for  food 
and  sleep,  drills,  hikes,  and  calisthenics,  lectures, 
debates,  and  police  duty,  obedience,  discipline,  and 
co-operation.  What  is  this  police  duty?  The  ap- 


106 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


pointees  clean  the  company  streets,  keep  order,  see 
that  all  men  are  asleep  at  9:30  p.  M.,  and  that  does 
not  permit  card  playing  or  telling  of  funny  stories 
after  the  last  bugle  call,  either.  They  wash  regular, 
eat  regular,  drill  regular,  attend  physical  examina¬ 
tions  regular,  dress  alike,  act  alike,  and  the  atmos¬ 
phere  is  full  of  equality,  fraternity,  and  Americanism. 
It  is  hard  work,  to  be  sure,  but  the  mental,  moral,  and 
physical  training  continues,  and  the  step  becomes 
elastic,  the  eye  clear  and  sparkling,  and  the  soldier 
feels  like  facing  any  foe  and  upholding  the  old  Revolu¬ 
tionary  motto:  “Don’t  tread  on  me.” 

We  can  well  bring  this  military  training  into  every 
public  school.  I  call  it  military  training,  because 
there  is  no  proper  word  yet  to  describe  this  new  idea, 
but  it  stands  for  practical  common  sense  education  in 
how  to  live,  so  as  to  create  in  each  individual  life 
the  greatest  possible  efficiency  of  service.  The  sol¬ 
dier  never  asks  useless  questions,  but  receives  brief, 
concise  orders,  without  details,  uses  his  discretion  in 
execution,  and  merely  reports  results,  and  duty  per¬ 
formed.  The  soldier  is  neat,  orderly,  and  careful 
of  his  personal  appearance  and  of  his  belongings,  for 
no  sloppy  housekeeping  is  permitted  in  army  tents. 
The  soldier  is  prompt,  steady,  and  courteous,  and 
obeys  with  alertness  and  intelligence.  A  soldier  re¬ 
spects  t,he  rights  of  others,  reverences  the  flag  and 
the  institutions  it  represents,  and  holds  his  sublimest 
duty  service  to  his  country  and  to  his  fellowmen. 
Can  you  beat  it,  and  can  we  not  as  a  nation  offer  our 
young  men  to  be  initiated  as  recruits  into  such  a 
system?  We  do  not  need  a  military  machine  nor  a 


NATIONAL  DEFENSE 


107 


standing  army,  but  we  must  train  our  young  men  in 
the  art  of  self-defense,  of  physical  well-being,  and  of 
efficient  activity,  and  spare  neither  expense  nor  time 
to  bring  about  this  result  as  speedily  as  possible. 
There  is  not  a  nation  of  Europe  in  such  sloughs  of 
torpidity  as  we  have  been,  and  now  let  us  be  men,  and 
take  our  stand  as  men  among  men,  striving  for  peace, 
but  prepared  for  any  emergency. 


THE  STRENGTH  OF  OUR  NAVY 


A  S  EAR  back  as  history  reads  we  find  that  civili- 
y  ^  zation,  national  progress,  and  national  power 
always  follow  the  merchant  marine;  and  cities 
of  culture  invariably  are  built  up  as  commercial  or 
trade  centres,  where  merchantmen  and  ships  of  war 
come  and  go,  for  life  on  the  sea  breeds  freedom  from 
care,  liberality  of  thought,  and  activity  of  body  and 
mind.  After  a  century  and  a  half  of  independence, 
the  United  States  of  America  has  drifted  so  far  from 
this  source  of  recuperation  of  power  as  to  be  actually 
in  peril  of  losing  both  our  prestige  and  trade  because 
the  wisdom  of  Emperors  and  Princes  exceeds  that  of 
selfish  popular  representatives;  valuable  opportuni¬ 
ties  are  turned  from  our  shores,  and  we  have  sold  our 
birthright  for  a  mess  of  pottage.  One  great  com¬ 
plicating  reason  is  that  there  is  no  unity  of  thought  in 
America,  no  national  budget,  no  interstate  com¬ 
mission  with  any  real  power  to  direct  the  affairs  of 
the  nation  as  a  united  people,  and  the  favoritism 
of  individual  states,  each  in  turn  for  patronage  sake, 
is  all  wrong.  Another  reason  is  that  our  professional 
politicians  are  so  selfishly  engaged  in  securing  their 
berths  and  feathering  their  own  beds  that  all  interests 
of  the  nation  are  lost  sight  of,  and  this  condition  of 
public  life  can  only  be  remedied  by  a  commission  in 
charge  of  the  commercial  relations  of  these  United 

10s 


109 


THE  STRENGTH  OF  OUR  NAVY 

States,  like  to  our  Supreme  Court  in  the  legal  depart¬ 
ment,  with  full  regulative  and  directive  power,  each 
member  holding  office  for  life.  Such  a  commission 
directorate  would  not  constantly  shift  as  political 
parties  rise  and  fall,  and,  secure  in  power,  could  give 
some  uniformity  of  object  to  the  navy  and  merchant 
marine. 

The  crying  needs  of  the  merchant  ships  and  navy 
vessels  are  one  and  the  same,  to  provide,  first,  men; 
then  ships;  then  opportunities  for  trade  and  service. 
To  supply  men,  the  seamen’s  life  must  be  made  both 
remunerative  and  attractive.  The  Government  of 
the  United  States,  rather  than  worry  over  owning 
the  railroads,  would  do  well,  while  our  foreign  mer¬ 
chant  marine  is  in  its  second  infancy,  to  take  over  this 
field  of  operation  and  enter  the  commercial  game  in 
force  and  earnest,  and  lead  the  way,  with  an  Ameri¬ 
can  fleet  of  freight  and  passenger  service  vessels,  to 
trade  at  every  port.  There  would  not  actually  be  a 
loss  in  such  operation,  for  the  gain  would  be  a  neces¬ 
sary  complement  to  our  navy  of  practical  consort, 
transport,  and  supply  vessels,  which,  if  war  threat¬ 
ened,  could  be  armed  and  armored.  We  must  edu¬ 
cate  sailors  and  seamen  at  any  price  from  our  citi¬ 
zenry,  and  the  roving  sea-following  population  of  a 
commercial  nation  is  the  most  effective  protection 
possible  against  invasion  by  force,  as  well  as  the  more 
dangerous  but  less  open  attacks  against  trade  and 
business. 

The  opportunity  is  here  to-day  for  ships  flying  the 
American  flag  to  enter  where  all  others  dare  not 
tread,  and  the  United  States  finds  itself  for  a  brief 


110 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


instant  free  from  the  powerful  fetters  of  commercial 
dependence  to  which  a  few  years  ago  we  were  ap¬ 
parently  hopelessly  and  eternally  subjected.  And 
unless  we  take  immediate  advantage  of  the  present- 
day  opportunities  we  will  be  refettered  with  bonds  of 
double  strength,  so  that  we  may  never  escape,  but  be 
compelled  to  pay  an  enormous  annual  tribute,  such 
as  in  a  few  years  will  leave  us  again  indebted  to  every 
commercial  power.  We  cannot  afford  to  permit  all 
our  trade  abroad  to  be  carried  under  foreign  flags, 
and  only  by  continuously  applied  clever  devices  have 
we  been  held  in  traps,  in  fancied  security,  but  in 
reality  fettered  and  bound. 

Foreign  powers  allow  discount  rates  to  all  mer¬ 
chandise  carried  in  their  own  ships,  subsidize  every 
important  trading  vessel  and  pave  the  way  for  export 
and  import  trade.  In  addition  to  all  this,  they  pro¬ 
vide  men  and  equipment,  and  so  give  useful  employ¬ 
ment  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  citizens  in  profit¬ 
able  pursuits,  and  by  such  slight  favoritisms  drive 
our  commerce  from  the  seas.  And  we  have  placidly 
endured  it  all,  amazed  and  stupefied  at  the  millions 
upon  millions  of  debts  held  by  more  favored  nations 
over  this  land.  Home  labor  must  help  provide  and 
educate  sea  labor,  and  our  manufacturers  encourage 
and  support  our  merchant  marine,  for  commerce  is 
the  only  known  method  disposing  of  surplus  produce 
when  home  markets  are  overflowed.  Then  the  need 
of  raw  materials  ever  increases  and,  by  a  little  syste¬ 
matic  effort,  exchange  trade  routes  can  be  provided 
which  will  assure  permanent  patronage  and  hand¬ 
some  profit  by  allowing  our  manufacturers  to  ex- 


THE  STRENGTH  OF  OUR  NAVY 


111 


change  direct  their  manufactured  commodities  for 
raw  materials.  Thus  we  see  how  this  question  of  a 
merchant  marine  interests  the  inland  states. 

This  is  a  serious  question  and  not  to  be  carelessly 
thrown  aside  in  an  uninterested  fashion,  for  upon  our 
solution  of  the  problem  of  supplying  opportunities 
for  our  people  depends  our  future  security.  We 
cannot  allow  ourselves  to  be  caged  and  cooped  up 
again  as  we  have  been  during  the  last  hundred  years. 
This  is  no  imaginary  flight  of  mental  derangement, 
but  a  present  ready  peril,  which  will  envelop  us 
and  sap  our  life  blood  in  a  few  generations  if  we  pla¬ 
cidly  surrender  ourselves  to  fancied  security  and 
luxurious  ease.  The  remedy  is  easy  and  is  at  hand, 
but  only  the  leader  is  needed  to  stir  the  adventurous 
blood  into  commercial  activity,  sing  the  glories  of 
the  deep  and  call  forth  the  youth  of  the  nation  to 
awake  out  of  their  drowsy  sleep  and  be  men,  meet  the 
problems  of  men  and  prepare  America  to  weather 
storms  of  international  competition  for  trade  supre¬ 
macy,  which  are  even  now  gathering  with  rumbling 
thunder,  ready  to  spill  out  torrents  of  destructive 
rainfall  upon  our  beloved  people  at  the  trumpet  call 
for  the  renewal  of  the  all -overpowering  commercial 
aggrandizement  over  every  sea. 


BEYOND  PETTY  POLITICS 


REACH  out  for  great  principles,  but  overreacli 
trifles;  all  Americans  are  interested  in  our 
business  prosperity,  and  a  well-directed 
punch  will  accomplish  more  than  the  most  forcible 
argument.  In  government  service  there  is  a  crying 
need  for  men  selected  and  trained  in  advance  entering 
civil  service  positions  determined  to  dedicate  their 
ability  to  make  organization  the  keynote  of  democ¬ 
racy.  We  cannot  afford  to  take  citizens  indiscrimi¬ 
nately  from  our  business  centres,  and  ride  them  into 
politics,  thus  robbing  the  trades  of  all  capable  leaders 
and  filling  our  legislative  halls  with  men  who  have  no 
reasonable  qualifications  and  no  possible  ability  for 
the  work  required  of  them.  The  system  of  filling 
political  positions  by  promotions  is  far  superior  and 
guarantees  effective,  faithful  service,  by  competent, 
understanding,  trained  office  holders.  We  must  have 
co-operation  of  our  government  with  our  business 
men,  for  the  great  object  of  the  governing  power  is  to 
develop  and  protect  business.  How  we  have  fallen 
when  we  make  the  sole  object  of  our  government  to 
develop  and  protect  politicians.  Require  for  every 
man  the  opportunity  of  living  wage  and  never  depose 
competent  men  because  they  oppose  political  organi¬ 
zations,  and  the  placing  in  power  of  incompetent 
men  simply  because  they  will  do  the  will  of  some 

112 


BEYOND  PETTY  POLITICS 


113 


political  boss  without  scruples  or  question.  As  long 
as  American  business  men  are  so  wrapped  up  in  the 
solution  of  their  own  problems  that  they  cannot  take 
time  to  consider  national  affairs,  which  vitally  affect 
their  interests,  so  long  will  they  be  subjected  to  mis¬ 
rule,  to  partiality,  and  to  the  waste  of  all  public  funds, 
with  no  benefits  or  results. 

We  Americans  think  we  do  our  duty  when  we 
systematically  discourage  and  destroy  all  the  pa¬ 
triotic  efforts  of  men  in  public  life.  But  I  do  not 
believe  this  is  a  resultant  consideration,  but  a  habit 
to  distrust  and  attack  every  political  jobber  as  a 
public  enemy ;  and  the  true  attack  is  in  nine  cases  out 
of  ten  planned  and  executed  by  jealous  or  hostile 
political  enemies,  and  the  people  simply  follow  the 
blind  leader  and  never  consider  whence  the  attack 
has  originated.  It  is  by  such  methods  that  office 
holders  are  held  in  deadly  terror  of  organization 
leaders,  for  they  know  that  immediately  such  attacks 
begin,  friends  desert  and  their  enemies  triumph. 
Practically  every  man  who  enters  public  life  comes 
forward  inspired  by  honest,  patriotic  motives,  and 
only  unreasonable  and  unfair  burdens  force  capable 
men  to  retire.  But  here  lies  the  duty  of  men  of 
business  affairs  to  steadfastly  unite  their  efforts, 
to  place  and  keep  in  office  men  of  usefulness,  for  this 
nation  is  our  nation,  these  expenses  of  running  the 
government  are  our  expenses,  and  this  national 
development  and  preparedness  is  our  own,  so  we 
must  consistently  aim  for  big  projects  and  see  that 
business  men  are  at  the  helm  of  state.  But  men  do 
not  like  strange  men,  and  time  is  therefore  not  always 


114 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


wasted  in  get-together  meetings,  rubbing  elbows  and 
chipping  thoughts,  until  each  has  some  idea  at  least, 
under  given  circumstances,  where  the  other  will 
stand.  Men  must  have  suitable  opportunities  of  rest 
and  recreation  and  plenty  of  the  best  food  obtainable 
to  render  service  of  the  highest  efficiency.  Capable 
employees  are  the  greatest  and  most  valuable  asset 
of  the  employer,  and  loyal  workers  should  cheerfully 
work  overtime  when  necessary  and  be  permitted  to 
enjoy  privileges  of  freedom  at  opportune  occasions. 

A  public  sentiment  is  needed  to  realize  that  every 
national  loss,  either  of  goods  or  of  individual  effi¬ 
ciency,  detracts  just  that  amount  from  the  sum  total 
of  our  net  national  resources.  Railway  lines,  steam¬ 
ship  routes,  highways,  agricultural  developments  and 
business  operations  are  all  our  own  national  re¬ 
sources,  and  we  should  every  one  of  us,  citizens  of  this 
great  republic,  take  an  actual,  deep  pride  in  adopting 
an  attitude  of  encouragement  and  good-will  toward 
all  our  great  industrial  systems  and  leaders.  Desist 
from  all  primitive  measures  against  patriotic  leaders 
who  have  tried,  failed,  and  will,  if  permitted,  try 
again;  for  the  loss  of  a  few  dollars  is  pitiful  nothing¬ 
ness  as  compared  with  the  destruction  of  individual 
character  and  effort.  This  modern  regulation  of 
national  and  local  business  by  foolish  laws  of  restraint 
is  working  havoc  far  and  wide,  and  the  policy  we  are 
now  pursuing,  if  continued,  will  ruin  our  standards 
of  business.  But  here  again  I  am  not  afraid,  for  I 
see  the  great  circle  of  exploitation,  graft,  and  ineffi¬ 
ciency  slowly  fading,  and  in  its  place  shines  forth  a 
new  public  sentiment  in  and  toward  both  our  great 


BEYOND  PETTY  POLITICS  11.5 

organizations  of  labor  and  our  industrial  transporta¬ 
tion  and  commercial  activities,  upon  which  the  future 
welfare  of  our  beloved  country  so  vitally  depends. 
Now  it  is  up  to  the  people  of  the  United  States  to 
join  hands,  minds,  and  hearts  in  one  great,  deter¬ 
mined  effort  to  rid  the  nation  of  non-producing  drones 
once  for  all  and  make  the  government  of  this  great 
commonwealth  to  be  operated  by  and  for  the  business 
men  of  America. 


ANECDOTES  OF  PATRIOTS  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 


PATRIOTISM  is  the  moving  element  both  of 
the  soldier  in  battle  and  the  life  of  the  scouts 
and  statesmen  who  open  the  way  for  war  and 
make  the  terms  of  peace.  Every  nation  needs  men 
who  will  plan  great  ideals  and  dedicate  their  lives  and 
their  fortunes  to  public  service,  for  all  great  reforms 
and  revolutions  are  accomplished  by  men  leading 
men.  By  the  records  of  anecdotes  in  individual  lives 
of  patriots  we  can  trace  the  history  of  our  own  Revo¬ 
lution,  as  a  South  Carolina  paper  said:  “One  soul 
animates  3,000,000  of  brave  Americans,  though  ex¬ 
tended  over  a  long  tract  of  3,000  miles.”  Paul  Re¬ 
vere,  a  noted  Boston  patriot,  heard  that  a  detachment 
of  troops  would  march  out  twenty  miles  to  destroy 
the  stores  of  the  4,000  minute  men  at  Concord. 
When  the  two  lanterns  on  the  Old  North  Church 
tower  flashed  the  advance,  he  entered  Lexington, 
where  Hancock  and  Adams  were  asleep.  “Don’t 
make  so  much  noise,”  shouted  a  guard.  “You  will 
have  noise  enough  before  long,  the  regulars  are  com¬ 
ing,”  he  replied.  Ethan  Allen  burst  into  the  com¬ 
mander’s  room  at  Fort  Ticonderoga,  seized  all  the 
cannon  and  arms,  and  forced  a  complete  surrender. 
The3e  very  cannon  Washington  moved  to  Boston, 
and  when  General  Howe  realized  he  was  not  only  sur- 

116 


ANECDOTES  OF  PATRIOTS  117 

rounded  in  Boston,  but  under  cannon  fire,  he  took 
one  good  look  from  his  spyglass  at  the  American 
guns  on  Dorchester  Heights  and  with  1,000  Tories 
and  8,000  soldiers  he  left  to  General  Washington  a 
bloodless  but  most  glorious  victory.  The  Whigs  and 
patriots  held  a  day  of  rejoicing,  while  Congress  voted 
Washington  a  gold  medal  to  commemorate  the  great 
occasion. 

In  June,  1776,  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of  Virginia, 
offered  in  Congress  this  resolution :  “  Resolved,  That 
these  United  Colonies  are  and  of  right  ought  to  be 
Free  and  Independent  States.”  John  Adams,  of 
Massachusetts,  seconded  the  resolution,  and  with 
Thomas  Jefferson  of  Virginia,  Benjamin  Franklin  of 
Pennsylvania,  Roger  Sherman  of  Connecticut,  and 
Robert  R.  Livingston  of  New  York,  they  drew  up 
the  Declaration  of  American  Independence.  On 
July  4,  1776,  John  Hancock,  president  of  Congress, 
signed  it  in  a  strong,  bold  hand  which  the  King  of 
England  could  read  without  glasses.  These  men 
thus  marked  themselves  as  American  patriots,  dedi¬ 
cating  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their  sacred 
honor  mutually  to  either  stand  united  or  hang  sepa¬ 
rately,  according  to  the  failure  or  success  of  the  cause. 
Robert  Morris,  of  Philadelphia,  on  New  Year’s  Day, 
1777,  went  from  house  to  house  throughout  the  city, 
collecting  $50,000  for  Washington’s  army  at  Valley 
Forge,  and  this  sum  saved  the  army  from  disorganiza¬ 
tion.  With  the  supplies  captured  at  Trenton,  after 
the  defeat  of  the  Hessians,  Washington  quickly 
moved  to  Princeton,  where  he  arrived  just  in  time  to 
meet  Cornwallis,  who  had  told  his  officers  the  night 


118 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


before  they  would  bag  the  old  fox  in  the  morning. 
Washington  and  his  guard  stood  between  the  two 
lines  under  fire  from  both  sides,  and  all  supposed 
they  were  killed;  but  when  the  smoke  cleared  and 
showed  the  commander  uninjured,  the  American 
forces  struck  a  quick  blow  and  then  retired  to  strong 
and  safe  winter  quarters  at  Morristown.  Benjamin 
Franklin  loaned  all  his  ready  money,  $15,000,  to  Con¬ 
gress  and  finally  got  $5,000,000  French  loans  to  help 
the  cause.  Daniel  Morgan,  of  Virginia,  commanded 
500  sharpshooters,  and  it  was  said  that  any  man  could 
toss  up  an  apple  and  shoot  out  the  seeds  before  it  fell 
to  the  ground.  Paul  Jones  appears  to  have  raised  the 
first  American  flag  at  sea,  made  from  an  old  blue 
army  overcoat  with  white  stars  to  represent  the 
states  and  the  bars  made  from  strips  from  a  red 
petticoat  and  a  sailor’s  white  blouse,  and  so  combined 
the  army  and  navy,  the  men  and  the  ladies  all  united 
in  the  first  flag.  Soon  came  the  great  victory  when 
Burgoyne  surrendered  at  Saratoga,  and  Lafayette  ran 
to  General  Washington  with  letters  from  Paris,  ex¬ 
claiming  :  “  The  King,  my  Master,  has  acknowledged 
the  independence  of  America,  and  will  sign  a  treaty 
to  help  you  establish  it.” 

American  daring  was  a  by-word,  for,  although  Eng¬ 
land  defeated  France  and  Spain  at  sea,  Paul  Jones 
and  others  won  ship  after  ship  till  “mistress  of  the 
sea”  was  spoken  in  a  whisper.  Mad  Anthony  Wayne, 
like  Ethan  Allen,  boldly  plunged  into  the  fortress  at 
Stony  Point  and  took  the  fort  by  bayonet  at  midnight 
with  all  the  supplies;  thus  he  saved  Connecticut  from 
British  invasion  and  confined  Sir  Henry  Clinton  to 


ANECDOTES  OF  PATRIOTS 


119 


New  York  City.  Meanwhile  Captain  George  Rogers 
Clark,  of  Virginia,  drove  the  British  from  Illinois  and 
Indiana,  while  Marian,  Sumter,  Morgan,  Gates,  and 
Greene  drove  them  from  the  country  sections  of 
North  and  South  Carolina  and  shut  the  British  army 
up  at  Charleston.  Cornwallis  had  left  the  Southern 
forces  and  pursued  Lafayette,  saying:  “The  boy 
cannot  escape  me,”  encamping  at  Yorktown,  little 
dreaming  he  also  was  building  his  own  prison.  The 
French  fleet  approached  by  sea  and  Washington  by 
land,  and  with  all  supplies  cut  off,  Cornwallis  sur¬ 
rendered  his  entire  army.  When  this  news  reached 
Lord  North,  Prime  Minister  of  England,  he  threw 
up  his  hands  and  exclaimed:  “It  is  all  over,”  and 
then  resigned  his  office.  In  1782,  when  Parliament 
opened,  King  George  III  announced  the  independence 
of  the  United  States  of  America,  closing  his  speech 
with  the  earnest  hope  that  “Religion,  language, 
interest,  and  affection  might  prove  a  bond  of  perma¬ 
nent  union  between  the  two  countries.” 

Three  most  notable  victories  were  thus  chronicled 
to  the  American  armies  of  the  Revolution — the  defeat 
of  Howe  at  Boston,  the  capture  of  Burgoyne  at 
Saratoga,  and  the  capture  of  Cornwallis  at  York¬ 
town.  The  surrender  of  the  army  of  General  Bur¬ 
goyne,  October  17,  1777,  provided  the  Americans 
with  42  ordnance  and  4,647  muskets  besides  the  am¬ 
munition  and  5,791  prisoners  of  war.  The  march  to 
Boston  is  thus  described:  “Poor,  dirty,  emaciated 
men,  great  numbers  of  woymen  who  seemed  to  be  the 
beasts  of  burden,  having  bushel  baskets  on  their 
backs,  by  which  they  were  bent  double,  the  contents 


no 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


seemed  to  be  pots  and  kettles,  various  sorts  of  furni¬ 
ture,  children  peeping  through  gridirons  and  other 
utensils,  the  women  barefooted  and  clothed  in  dirty 
rags.”  Meanwhile,  General  Washington  encamped 
at  Morristown.  The  Commander  often  participated 
in  the  rites  of  Freemasonry  at  the  Masonic  lodge 
rooms  in  the  Morris  Hotel,  where  the  degrees  of  the 
order  were  conferred  upon  many  of  his  companions. 
Morristown  was  the  scene  of  a  mutiny,  when  two 
thousand  Pennsylvania  soldiers,  having  suffered 
every  privation  and  receiving  no  pay,  claimed  their 
rights  to  be  discharged,  and  General  Clinton  sent 
proposals  to  pay  up  all  back  wages  and  clothe  and 
feed  all  refugees.  But  this  rebellion  was  a  demo¬ 
cratic  movement,  and  one  of  the  leaders  said:  “See, 
comrades,  they  take  us  for  traitors.  The  American 
army  can  furnish  but  one  Arnold  and  America  has  no 
truer  friends  than  we,”  and  the  emissaries  were 
executed  as  spies.  Washington’s  extreme  care  of 
little  things  is  shown  when  he  left  his  quarters;  there 
was  a  complete  inventory  of  every  article,  except  that 
one  silver  spoon  was  missing.  Not  long  after  Mrs. 
Ford,  the  hostess,  received  one  silver  spoon  marked 
“G.  W.,”  still  preserved  as  a  precious  relic  in  the 
family. 

The  greatest  suffering  of  the  Continental  Army 
was  at  Valley  Forge,  1777-1778,  the  men  being  desti¬ 
tute,  barefoot,  and  starving,  living  in  wood  huts  in 
the  depth  of  winter,  about  11,000  men,  nearly  a 
third  unfit  for  service.  As  the  country  had  been 
stripped  of  all  supplies,  the  need  of  food  almost 
caused  the  disbandment  of  Washington’s  army. 


ANECDOTES  OF  PATRIOTS 


121 

It  is  interesting  to  briefly  survey  the  negotiations 
for  peace  which  took  place  between  England,  France, 
Spain,  Holland,  and  America.  France  was  friendly 
to  America,  but  Spain  was  bitterly  hostile  to  the 
United  States,  although  an  ally  of  France.  Fox, 
the  English  Secretary  of  State,  was  a  Whig,  was 
friendly  to  America,  but  had  to  superintend  negotia¬ 
tions  with  France,  Spain,  and  Holland,  while  Benja¬ 
min  Franklin,  representing  America,  said  that  recon¬ 
ciliation  was  a  sweet  word,  and  acted  with  great  tact, 
for  King  George  of  England  opposed  the  negotiations. 
England  was  victorious  over  France  and  Spain,  but 
defeated  in  America.  France  was  bound  to  Spain  by 
treaty  not  to  make  peace  until  England  was  driven 
from  Gibraltar,  so  Vergennes,  for  France,  attempted 
to  persuade  England  to  exchange  Gibraltar  for  Flor¬ 
ida.  By  the  Quebec  Act  of  1774,  England  had  de¬ 
clared  the  southern  boundary  of  Canada  to  be  the 
Ohio  River.  But  the  backwoodsmen  of  Virginia  had 
conquered  all  the  territory  from  Lake  Superior  to 
Kentucky  from  England  in  1779,  and  in  December, 
1780,  had  ceded  all  this  region  to  the  Union.  Now  to 
regain  Gibraltar,  Vergennes  maintained  America 
should  surrender  to  England  all  the  territory  north  of 
the  Ohio,  and  the  territory  south  of  the  river  should 
be  made  an  Indian  territory,  for  both  Vergennes, 
representing  France,  and  Aranda,  representing  Spain, 
were  jealous  of  America.  Aranda  wrote:  “This 
Federal  Republic  is  born  a  pygmy.  A  day  will  come 
when  it  will  be  a  giant,  even  a  colossus,  formidable  in 
these  countries.  Liberty  of  conscience,  the  facility 
for  establishing  a  new  population  on  immense  lands. 


122 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


as  well  as  the  advantages  of  the  new  government,  will 
draw  thither  farmers  and  artisans  from  all  the  na¬ 
tions.  In  a  few  years  we  shall  watch  with  grief  the 
tyrannical  existence  of  this  same  colossus.”  Frank¬ 
lin,  Jay,  and  Adams,  representing  the  American 
colonies,  thus  found  that  France  and  Spain  would 
deprive  them  of  the  Middle  West  and  also  the  New¬ 
foundland  fishery  rights,  so  Jay  opened  correspond¬ 
ence  direct  with  England.  Lord  Shelburne  at  once 
perceived  the  dissension  between  the  allies,  and  in  the 
negotiations  the  Colonies  were  first  described  by  the 
British  Government  as  the  United  States  of  America. 
Modern  diplomacy  shows  no  greater  triumph  of 
Yankee  ingenuity  over  European  subtlety  than  the 
final  peace  treaty,  for  being  in  treaty  relation  with 
France  to  make  no  separate  peace,  and  having  won 
independence  with  the  aid  of  France  at  Yorktown, 
yet  being  distrusted  and  threatened  with  disintegra¬ 
tion  by  the  European  alliance  of  France,  Spain,  and 
Holland,  the  United  States  representatives,  Franklin, 
Jay,  and  Adams,  gained  the  Middle  West,  for  Eng¬ 
land  did  not  insist  upon  retaining  the  inland  territory, 
and  also  acquired  the  Canadian  fishery  rights  and 
navigation  privileges  on  terms  of  full  equality.  As 
all  nations  desired  peace,  the  Treaty  of  Paris  repre¬ 
sented  for  America  the  most  brilliant  triumph  in 
diplomacy,  and  with  it  was  granted  the  independence 
of  the  United  States,  and  the  foundation  was  laid  of 
the  Monroe  Doctrine,  for  we  left  the  negotiations 
strictly  free  from  all  foreign  entanglements.  Spain 
scolded  and  threatened,  but  finally  gave  up  Gibraltar, 
while  England  surrendered  East  Florida,  and  al- 


ANECDOTES  OF  PATRIOTS 


123 


lowed  her  to  retain  West  Florida  and  her  other  pos¬ 
sessions.  But  our  success  was  partly  due  to  the 
change  of  English  ministry,  for  the  England  of  the 
Revolution  was  the  England  of  Lord  North  and 
George  Onslow,  in  defense  of  Lord  North,  said: 
“  Why  have  we  failed  so  miserably  in  this  war  against 
America  if  not  from  the  support  and  countenance 
given  to  rebellion  in  this  very  house?”  and  in  the 
House  of  Commons  the  Whigs  alluded  to  Washing¬ 
ton’s  army  as  “our  army”  and  to  the  American  cause 
as  “the  cause  of  liberty.”  England  truly  realized  her 
mistake  in  oppressing  a  free  people.  The  victories  of 
justice  and  statesmanship  are  greater  than  armies 
and  navies,  and  the  English  race  on  both  sides  of  the 
Atlantic  was  now  united  in  its  main  purpose  of 
humanitarianism  and  the  advancement  of  civiliza¬ 
tion. 

“Our  young  wild  land,  the  free,  the  proud. 

Uncrushed  by  power,  unawed  by  fear. 

Her  knee  to  none  but  God  is  bowed, 

For  nature  teaches  freedom  here. 

“From  gloom  and  snow  to  light  and  flowers, 

Expands  this  heritage  of  ours. 

Life  with  its  myriad  hopes,  pursuits. 

Spreads  sails,  rears  roofs,  and  gathers  fruits. 

“But  pass  to  fleeting  centuries  back; 

This  land  a  torpid  giant  slept. 

Wrapped  in  a  mantle  thick  and  black 
That  o’er  its  mighty  frame  had  crept.” 


Street. 


FEAR  GOD  AND  TAKE  YOUR  OWN  PART 


“  We  fear  God  when  we  do  justice  to  and  demand  justice  for  the  men 
within  our  own  borders.” 

NO  MAN  in  America  has  worked  more  strenu¬ 
ously,  fought  more  gallantly,  and  talked  more 
fearlessly  in  the  cause  of  righteousness  and 
truth  than  Theodore  Roosevelt,  an  aggressive  fol¬ 
lower  up,  as  his  trainer,  Sixsmith  told  us,  as  he 
pounded  the  boys  in  the  boxing  contests  at  Platts¬ 
burgh.  That  Teddy  followed  up  so  very  aggres¬ 
sively,  that  he  got  out  of  the  ring,  is  almost  the  only 
way  to  express  the  truth;  youth  and  masculine  power 
are  still  his  own,  and  his  faults  and  impetuous  zeal 
we  will  write  upon  the  sands,  for  he  is  still  our  typical 
American  statesman,  crude,  aggressive,  but  there 
with  the  goods  every  time.  Reach  out  for  great 
principles  but  overreach  trifles;  in  his  book  44 Fear 
God  and  Take  Your  Own  Part”  Roosevelt  not  only 
overreached  trifles,  but  he  overreached  every  great 
principle,  and  so  amazed  the  powerful  machinery  of 
Republicanism  that,  apprehensively,  the  royal  guard 
scoured  every  State  in  the  Union,  to  find  another 
leader  to  win  the  heart  of  America  for  Republican¬ 
ism,  and  failed.  The  Nation  is  still  asking  whether 
Roosevelt  could  have  patiently  guided  us  through 
the  tantalizing  months  of  watchful  waiting  and 

124 


TAKE  YOUR  OWN  PART 


125 


preparation  for  emergencies  and  the  final  conflict. 
Eliminating  his  hasty  strains  of  radicalism,  and  look¬ 
ing  into  the  heart  of  genius,  we  see  the  true,  passion¬ 
ate,  calm  patriotism  of  the  author.  “We  are  the 
citizens  of  a  mighty  Republic  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  God  above,  through  the  service  of  man  on 
this  earth.  We  are  the  heirs  of  a  great  heritage  be¬ 
queathed  to  us  by  statesmen  who  saw  with  the  eyes 
of  the  seer  and  the  prophet.  We  must  not  prove 
false  to  the  memories  of  the  nation’s  past.  We 
must  not  prove  false  to  the  fathers  from  whose  loins 
we  sprang,  and  to  their  fathers,  the  stern  men  who 
dared  gently  and  risked  all  things,  that  freedom 
should  hold  aloft  an  undimmed  torch  in  this  wide 
land.  They  held  their  worldly  well-being  as  dust  in 
the  balance  when  weighed  against  their  sense  of  high 
duty,  their  fealty  to  lofty  ideals.  Let  us  show  our¬ 
selves  worthy  to  be  their  sons.  Let  us  care,  as  is 
right,  for  the  things  of  the  body;  but  let  us  show  that 
we  care  even  more  for  the  things  of  the  soul.  Stout 
of  heart,  and  pledged  to  the  valor  of  righteousness, 
let  us  stand  four-square  to  the  winds  of  destiny, 
from  whatever  corner  of  the  world  they  blow.  Let 
us  keep  untarnished,  unstained,  the  honor  of  the  flag 
our  fathers  bore  aloft  in  the  teeth  of  the  wildest 
storm,  the  flag  that  shall  float  above  the  solid  files  of  a 
united  people,  a  people  sworn  to  the  great  cause  of 
liberty  and  of  justice,  for  themselves,  and  for  all  the 
sons  and  daughters  of  men.”  Contrast  to  this  a  pas¬ 
sage  mild  in  form,  but  a  two-edged  sword  to  our 
greatest  philanthropists,  scholars,  and  statesmen, 
who  realize  that  great  evolutions  of  the  advancement 


126  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

of  civilization  are  accomplished  by  the  grinding  of 
centuries,  and  not  by  the  destructive  forces  of  social 
upheaval:  “Timid  and  lazy  men,  men  absorbed  in 
money-getting,  men  absorbed  in  ease  and  luxury,  and 
all  soft  and  slothful  people  naturally  hail  with 
delight  anybody  who  will  give  them  high-sounding 
names  behind  which  to  cloak  their  unwillingness  to  run 
risks  or  to  toil  and  endure.  Emotional  philanthro¬ 
pists  to  whom  thinking  is  a  distasteful  form  of  mental 
exercise  enthusiastically  champion  this  attitude.  The 
faults  of  all  these  men  and  women  are  of  a  highly 
non-militaristic  and  un warlike  type;  and  naturally 
they  feel  great  satisfaction  in  condemning  misdeeds 
which  are  incident  to  lives  that  they  would  them¬ 
selves  be  wholly  unable  to  lead  without  an  amount 
of  toil  and  effort  that  they  are  wholly  unwilling  to 
undergo.  These  men  and  women  are  delighted  to 
pass  resolutions  in  favor  of  anything  with  a  lofty 
name,  provided  always  that  no  demand  is  ever  made 
upon  them  to  pay  with  their  bodies  to  even  the  small¬ 
est  degree  in  order  to  give  effect  to  these  lofty  senti¬ 
ments.  It  is  questionable  whether  in  the  long  run 
they  do  not  form  a  less  desirable  national  type  than 
is  formed  by  the  men  who  are  guilty  of  the  downright 
iniquities  of  life;  for  the  latter  at  least  have  in  them 
elements  of  strength  which,  if  guided  aright,  could  be 
used  to  good  purpose.” 

The  man  who  speaks  his  mind  opens  the  door  to 
criticism,  but  better  meet  controversy  than  stunt  the 
intellect.  Theodore  Roosevelt  has  fearlessly  spoken 
upon  and  met  every  social  problem  in  most  con¬ 
vincing  style,  pointing  out  clearly  the  paved  high- 


TAKE  YOUR  OWN  PART 


127 


ways  our  people  must  tread  to  reach  the  millennium 
of  Democracy:  44 1  believe  that  our  people  will  make 
Democracy  successful.  They  can  only  do  so  if  they 
show  by  their  actions  that  they  understand  the  re¬ 
sponsibilities  that  go  with  democracy.  The  first  and 
the  greatest  of  these  responsibilities  is  the  responsi¬ 
bility  of  national  self-defense.  We  must  be  pre¬ 
pared  to  defend  a  country  governed  in  accordance 
with  the  democratic  ideal  or  else  we  are  guilty  of 
treason  to  that  ideal.  To  defend  the  country  it  is 
necessary  to  organize  the  country  in  peace,  or  it  can¬ 
not  be  organized  in  war.  A  riot  of  unrestricted  in¬ 
dividualism  in  time  of  peace  means  impotence  for 
sustained  and  universal  national  effort  toward  a 
common  end  in  wartime.  Neither  business  man  nor 
wageworker  should  be  permitted  to  do  anything 
detrimental  to  the  people  as  a  whole;  and  if  they  act 
honestly  and  efficiently  they  should  in  all  ways  be 
encouraged.  There  should  be  social  cohesion.  We 
must  devise  methods  by  which,  under  our  democratic 
government,  we  shall  secure  the  socialization  of  in¬ 
dustry  which  autocratic  Germany  has  secured,  so  that 
business  may  be  encouraged  and  yet  controlled  in  the 
general  interest,  and  the  wageworkers  guaranteed  full 
justice  and  their  full  share  of  the  reward  of  industry, 
and  yet  required  to  show  the  corresponding  efficiency 
and  public  spirit  that  justify  their  right  to  an  in¬ 
creased  reward.” 

His  articles  on  Americanism  glow  with  principles 
which  place  him  without  peer  in  the  hearts  of  the 
American  people,  for  he  first,  in  this  generation, 
sounded  the  keynote  of  Patriotism:  44 True  Ameri- 


128 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


canism  demands  that  we  judge  each  man  on  his  con¬ 
duct,  that  we  so  judge  him  in  private  life,  and  that 
we  so  judge  him  in  public  life.  The  line  of  cleavage 
drawn  on  principle  and  conduct  in  public  affairs  is 
never  in  any  healthy  community  identical  with  the 
line  of  cleavage  between  creed  and  creed  or  between 
class  and  class.  On  the  contrary,  where  the  com¬ 
munity  life  is  healthy,  these  lines  of  cleavage  almost 
always  run  nearly  at  right  angles  to  one  another.  It 
is  eminently  necessary  to  all  of  us  that  we  should 
have  able  and  honest  public  officials  in  the  nation, 
in  the  city,  in  the  state.  If  we  make  a  serious  and 
resolute  effort  to  get  such  officials  of  the  right  kind, 
men  who  shall  not  only  be  honest  but  shall  be  able, 
and  shall  take  the  right  view  of  public  questions,  we 
will  find  as  a  matter  of  fact  that  the  men  we  thus 
choose  will  be  drawn  from  the  professors  of  every 
creed  and  from  among  men  who  do  not  adhere  to 
any  creed.  Our  nation  was  founded  to  perpetuate 
democratic  principles.  These  principles  are  that 
each  man  is  to  be  treated  on  his  worth  as  a  man,  with¬ 
out  regard  to  the  land  from  which  his  forefathers 
came,  and  without  regard  to  the  creed  which  he  pro¬ 
fesses.  If  the  United  States  proves  false  to  these 
principles  of  civil  and  religious  liberty,  it  will  have 
inflicted  the  greatest  blow  on  the  system  of  free 
popular  government  that  has  ever  been  inflicted. 
Here  we  have  had  a  virgin  continent  on  which  to  try 
the  experiment  of  making  out  of  divers  race  stocks  a 
new  nation  and  of  treating  all  the  citizens  of  that  na¬ 
tion  in  such  a  fashion  as  to  preserve  to  them  equality 
of  opportunity  in  industrial,  civil,  and  political  life. 


TAKE  YOUR  OWN  PART 


129 


Our  duty  is  to  secure  each  man  against  any  injustice 
by  his  fellows.” 

And  by  these  lofty  ideals  we  must  now  judge  this 
man.  Write  his  virtues  upon  tablets  of  bronze,  for 
his  strength  of  character  cannot  be  assailed,  nor  his 
sincerity  doubted,  and  he  stands  to-day  still  supreme 
in  the  hearts  of  the  American  people,  a  peerless  leader 
and  statesman,  a  man  of  the  people  and  for  the 
people:  “Fear  God  and  take  your  own  part!  This 
is  another  way  of  saying  that  a  nation  must  have 
power  and  will  for  self-sacrifice  and  also  power  and 
will  for  self-protection.  There  must  be  both  unsel¬ 
fishness  and  self-expression,  each  to  supplement  the 
other,  neither  wholly  good  without  the  other.  The 
nation  must  be  willing  to  stand  disinterestedly  for  a 
lofty  ideal  and  yet  must  also  be  able  to  insist  that  its 
own  rights  be  heeded  by  others.  Evil  will  come  if  it 
does  not  possess  the  will  and  the  power  for  unselfish 
action  on  behalf  of  non-utilitarian  ideals  and  also 
the  will  and  the  power  for  self-mastery,  self-control, 
self-discipline.  It  must  possess  those  high  and  stern 
qualities  of  soul  which  will  enable  it  to  conquer  soft¬ 
ness,  weakness  and  timidity,  and  train  itself  to  sub¬ 
ordinate  momentary  pleasure,  momentary  profit, 
momentary  safety  to  the  larger  future.” 


ARMAGEDDON 


4S  FAR  back  as  history  reads,  the  minds  of 
r\  men  have  recognized  and  been  familiar  with 
the  thought  of  the  war  of  Nations,  because 
this  war  has  always  been  in  progress  and  for  genera¬ 
tions  yet  unborn  will  continue,  not  by  power,  not  by 
might,  but  through  the  advancement  of  the  Spirit  of 
Democracy  among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  German 
culture  representing  entrenched  monarchy,  heartless, 
cruel,  cold,  crushing  physical  power,  advanced  far, 
until,  blinded  by  self-confidence  and  military  stagna¬ 
tion,  the  resplendent  system  of  the  culture  of  effi¬ 
ciency  was  for  a  moment  forgotten,  and  the  madman 
staked  the  entire  future  of  his  followers  upon  a  sup¬ 
posed  master  stroke  of  arms,  with  the  plan  to  subdue 
all  civilization  to  the  yoke  of  tyranny.  Had  Ger¬ 
many  studied  history,  she  would  have  read  in  the 
downfall  of  Napoleon,  of  Julius  Cseser,  of  Xerxes,  the 
futility  of  attempted  world- wide  subjugation  of  em¬ 
pires  by  force  of  arms,  but  Germany  was  impatient  of 
the  slow,  crumbling  process  of  the  grinding  forces  of 
colonization  and  organized  monopoly,  risked  her  all, 
and  ingloriously,  criminally,  and  logically  failed.  No 
nation  can  destroy  the  arts  and  civilization  of  an¬ 
other  people  even  by  extermination ;  witness  Poland, 
Ireland,  and  the  Hebrew  people,  all  alive  and  influen¬ 
tial  to-day  in  world-wide  growth. 

130 


ARMAGEDDON 


131 


When  Germany  plunged  the  world  into  war  she 
knew  she  was  the  only  power  ready  for  immediate 
conflict.  No  people  can  prepare  for  war  in  less  time 
than  a  generation,  because  as  the  child  is  trained,  so  is 
he,  and  no  transitionary  teachings  can  be  imparted 
after  maturity.  So  Germany  had  her  young  men 
systematically  trained  to  be  implements  of  unbending 
obedience  to  power,  ready  to  suffer  and  endure  all  for 
world  prestige  and  dominion.  Enormous  accumu¬ 
lations  of  supplies  and  implements  of  warfare  were 
hoarded  and  zealously  guarded  in  her  storehouses,  her 
battleships  were  on  every  sea,  her  spies  on  every  shore, 
her  power  impregnable,  except  that  those  very  forces 
of  aggression  raised  up  for  their  own  resistance,  powers 
of  progress  and  civilization,  and  these  great  resisting 
forces,  Germany  did  not  see  or  realize.  Thus  the  Old 
Roman  Empire  survived  in  the  Great  Alliance  of  the 
Central  Powers  of  Europe,  ready  to  pour  every  ounce 
of  the  accumulated  wealth  of  centuries  of  the  crowned 
effigy  of  the  Caesars  into  a  conflict  to  crush  indepen¬ 
dent  thought  and  bind  the  world  to  ignorance  and 
error.  But  behold,  Italy,  a  member  of  that  Triple 
Alliance,  openly  declared  herself  free  from  the  bondage 
of  darkness  and  inquisition,  and  broke  her  bonds  of 
slavery.  The  home  of  Caesar  repudiated  Caesar, 
and  struck  the  first  blow  for  Liberty,  Equality,  and 
Fraternity.  Germany  did  not  see  the  white-robed 
statue  of  Liberty  in  New  York  Harbor,  the  present  of 
a  strong,  free  people  calling  loud  to  a  people  brave  and 
free.  Behold  again  how  the  deep-seated  hope  of 
dissentions  vanished,  as  France,  Russia,  Great  Brit¬ 
ain,  Roumania,  Servia,  Japan,  and  Belgium,  con- 


132 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


solidated  their  countless  forces  to  stem  the  tide  of 
monarchy.  This  world  must  be  made  a  safe  place 
for  democracy;  the  people  are  free;  bonds  are  broken, 
fetters  are  cut  asunder;  and  the  curtains  before  the 
temple  shrines  are  again  rent  in  twain,  that  the  great 
cause  of  the  brotherhood  of  man  may  go  on.  This 
conflict  of  barbarism  against  culture  has  been  in 
progress  through  all  the  centuries,  and  the  present 
lineup  merely  calls  the  hand  of  the  great  forces  work¬ 
ing  through  every  nation.  The  lessons  of  blood  and 
steel  are  but  the  serpent’s  trail,  which,  by  the  noon¬ 
day  sun,  we  mark  and  seek  him  in  his  lair. 

Peace  cannot  come  through  compromise  or  evasion, 
but  by  every  human  being  acting  as  a  brother  of  man 
and  sustaining  within  himself  righteousness,  purity, 
love,  and  real  active  participation  in  every  art  and 
science  of  life,  that  each  of  us  build  our  house  by  the 
side  of  the  road,  where  the  hordes  of  men  pass  by, 
with  the  purpose  in  each  and  every  heart  to  uplift 
every  traveller  with  renewed  strength  and  suste¬ 
nance  of  food,  drink,  and  shelter.  As  the  soldiers  on 
the  battlefields  lay  down  their  lives  for  then*  homeland, 
so  every  citizen,  without  the  great  incentive  of  the 
clash  of  arms,  must  dedicate  and  sacrifice  his  life,  his 
fortune,  and  his  sacred  honor  to  the  cause  of  human¬ 
ity.  Every  person  from  the  earliest  infancy  must  be 
absorbed  in  the  study  of  the  great  human  family, 
ready  to  assume  every  responsibility  and  obligation. 
We  can  never  measure  loss  or  gain  either  in  wealth, 
in  figures,  in  visible  signs,  or  in  local  changes,  but 
the  mantle  of  our  charity  must  be  over  every  land  and 
sea,  over  every  people,  race,  and  condition  of  men; 


ARMAGEDDON 


133 


nor  can  we  measure  or  describe  its  boundless  realm 
except  in  terms  of  world  service.  Remember  that 
even  the  awful  waste  and  suffering  caused  by  modern 
warfare  is  nothing  compared  with  waste  by  pestilence, 
earthquake,  flood,  and  scourge,  so  that  our  only 
materialistic  repulsion  at  the  slaughter  arises  from 
the  fact  of  the  cause  being  in  human  control,  and  not 
from  forces  free  from  guidance  by  the  minds  of  men. 

Look  again.  Through  central  Europe  clashes  the 
hammer  and  the  forge,  a  hundred  millions  of  people 
surge  and  sway  in  commercial  rivalry,  as  in  feverish 
zeal,  the  resources  of  every  land  are  estimated,  every 
individualistic  trait  is  crushed,  a  huge  system  grips 
all  men  within  its  iron  jaw,  and  shakes  the  forces  of 
the  universe  until  earth  trembles.  Ignorance,  super¬ 
stition,  vice,  and  greed  join  forces  with  tyranny,  op¬ 
pression,  wealth,  and  mighty  power,  to  pile  up  tower 
upon  tower,  men  upon  men,  gold  upon  gold,  and  sword 
upon  sword,  to  terrorize,  to  plunder,  to  control,  to 
make  the  earth  their  footstool,  defying  international 
law  and  all  equitable  rules  of  national  conduct.  The 
powers  of  expanding  freedom  of  socialistic  brother¬ 
hood,  of  university  education  and  of  world-wide  com¬ 
merce,  in  the  coast  states  of  Europe,  arouse  them¬ 
selves  from  lethargy,  shake  off  the  bonds  of  inactivity, 
and  cover  every  sea  with  trade  and  good-will  to  man. 
Did  any  merchantman,  plying  his  course  among  na¬ 
tions,  fail  to  see  the  clouds  of  conflict  gather,  when 
by  intrigue,  and  every  known  method  to  gain  com¬ 
mercial  and  industrial  advantage,  by  fair  or  foul 
means,  by  conspiracy,  and  by  systematic  pressure,  the 
inland  powers  sought  to  crush  free  trade,  democracy, 


134 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


and  civilization,  by  the  mailed,  clenched  fist  of  mili¬ 
tary  power?  For  the  people  stood  awed,  with  bowed 
heads,  before  enthroned  strength,  accepting  the 
inevitable,  with  a  dull  sense  of  a  dreadful,  unavoid¬ 
able,  irresistible  fate,  when  suddenly  in  Serbia  the 
little  finger  of  the  huge  mailed  fist  was  pricked. 
With  crushing  intent,  mighty  Austria,  the  pawn,  the 
stagnant,  helpless  victim  of  the  most  brutal,  bar- 
baristic  diplomacy,  struck  her  little  helpless  serf  the 
blow  of  death,  thinking  none  would  see  or  heed  the 
crime,  and  that  in  the  roles  of  history,  the  deed  would 
not  be  written  upon  the  pages  of  the  lives  of  nations. 

The  world  resounded  with  peal  upon  peal  of  heavy 
thunder  echoing  and  vibrating  from  every  shore, 
while  every  cloud  was  riven  by  lightning’s  flare,  and 
every  way  of  retreat  was  closed.  Could  the  haughty 
prince  stoop  to  apologies  to  common  men?  Ask  the 
wolf  to  comfort  the  mother  of  the  slain  lamb,  ask  the 
shark  of  the  sea  to  have  mercy,  ask  the  human  shy- 
lock  of  the  money  chamber  to  free  his  victim.  The 
Great  Dead  Hand  of  Monarchy  felt  Italy  slipping 
from  her  grasp,  her  one  great  hope  of  an  outlet  to  the 
Mediterranean,  and  before  Italy  could  recover  from 
her  astonishment  at  the  unlawful  occupation  of  the 
Balkan  State,  she  must  be  dragged  into  the  uncom¬ 
promising  dependency  of  war.  But  the  far-seeing 
politicians  of  Italy  perceived  the  jaws  of  National 
Destruction  wide  open,  and  declared  her  alliance 
ended.  So  failed  the  first  diplomacy  of  human  hate, 
and  chagrined  and  thirsty  for  blood  and  revenge,  the 
dual  alliance,  closing  their  bonds  with  Turkey  and 
Bulgaria,  defied  the  civilized  world.  “Thou  shalt 


ARMAGEDDON 


135 


not  covet  they  neighbor’s  realm,”  was  not  a  com¬ 
mandment  for  Germany,  endowed  as  she  believed, 
with  the  divine  right  to  rule  and  control.  This  is  the 
tangle  of  the  creature  of  iniquity  of  the  Dark  Ages, 
rising  upon  the  ashes  of  dead  men,  with  bloodshot 
eyes  and  reeking  tongue,  the  dragon  of  lust,  and  who 
will  champion  the  cause  of  right. 

Crazed  with  a  spirit  of  blind  hate,  aroused  by  the 
war  spirit,  the  madman  threw  discretion,  honor, 
justice,  arbitration,  and  righteousness  to  the  four 
winds  of  heaven,  and  as  the  pawn  had  overwhelmed 
Serbia,  the  barbarian  giant  crushed  in  one  mighty 
blow  beautiful  Belgium,  dragged  her  men  to  tribute, 
and  ravaged  her  homes  to  plunder  and  rob  every 
sacred  sanctuary  of  the  vestments  of  security.  No 
right  was  there,  but  blind  rage,  and  mighty  England 
knew  the  unquenchable  fire  was  at  her  door,  and  true 
as  steel  to  justice  and  honor,  did  not  hesitate  to  risk 
all  and  make  the  sacrifice  for  the  sake  of  humanity. 
Italy  blushed  with  shame,  but  the  end  was  not  yet. 
With  the  crash  of  timbers  and  cry  of  hatred  to  crucify 
upon  the  cross  of  gold  all  that  is  dear  to  civilization 
and  the  brotherhood  of  man,  the  Lusitania  went  down 
at  the  command  of  the  supreme  master,  with  eleven 
hundred  men,  women,  and  children,  the  price  of  the 
sacrifice  of  sacred  honor.  The  great  heart  of  the 
Italian  people  beat  true  to  their  glorious  heritage,  as 
Italy  unselfishly,  not  only  repudiated  her  evil  com¬ 
panions,  but  proclaimed  herself  free  from  bondage, 
from  slavery,  from  medieval  chains  of  ignorance,  a 
new  Italy,  an  ally  of  the  nations  of  the  Renaissance 
of  the  Twentieth  Century,  with  a  full  realization  of 


136 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  terrible  vengeance  that  might  be  her  fate,  but 
with  a  knowledge  that  she,  too,  was  offering  a  sacrifice 
of  her  all  upon  the  altar  of  her  soul.  No  grander  act 
in  the  war  will  be  read  into  history  than  the  turning 
of  the  Italian  people  from  darkness  to  light,  for  the 
enemy  they  defied  was  at  their  side,  with  drawn 
sword,  nor  could  Italy  expect  that  her  boundlessly 
fertile  fields  could  for  an  instant  be  free  from  inva¬ 
sion,  for  all  the  horrors  of  the  most  terrible  vengeance 
of  the  cry  of  hatred  toward  the  deserting  ally  were 
hers  to  do  or  die  in  defense  of  her  liberty. 

The  Gospel  of  the  Central  Powers  read  that  might 
made  right,  when  used  to  accomplish  objectives,  right 
in  their  own  judgment,  independent  of  the  neces¬ 
sities  and  privileges  of  other  men.  The  Entente 
Powers  and  neighboring  peoples  had  been  conscious 
of  the  absorption  of  their  resources  by  this  new  propa¬ 
ganda,  steadily  undermining  the  doctrines  of  civiliza¬ 
tion,  but  powerless  to  resist,  to  counter-attack,  or 
revive  their  own  power.  Had  Austria  and  Germany 
been  able  to  hold  aloof  from  actual  warfare  a  few 
more  short  years,  the  result  would  have  been  very 
different,  but  the  great  master  minds  of  empire  were 
rapidly  aging,  while  their  deep-seated  conspiracies 
were  known,  and  the  Germans  with  all  their  under¬ 
standing  of  science,  had  no  understanding  of  diplo¬ 
macy,  for  theirs  was  the  art  of  crushing  men,  and  not 
of  conciliation.  Therefore,  the  vast  armies  of  the 
world  were  interlocked  with  no  hope  of  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  either,  because  of  the  unlimited  forces  in¬ 
volved.  There  the  worm  turned,  and  Germany  was 
shorn  of  power  in  her  greater  empire,  losing  her 


ARMAGEDDON  137 

fleets,  her  commerce,  her  colonies,  all  but  her  indomit¬ 
able  national  will. 

The  entry  of  the  United  States  of  America  into  the 
war  of  nations  on  the  side  of  the  allies  was  the  crown¬ 
ing  triumph  of  diplomacy,  of  all  the  successful  work 
of  the  best  diplomats  of  modern  times,  for  not  only 
was  the  powder  of  a  nation,  by  far  exceeding  all  in 
wealth  and  resources,  added  to  the  allied  forces,  but 
this  triumph  added  to  their  strength  a  people 
counted  on  by  Germany  as  her  sure  ally.  When 
war  was  first  declared  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  if 
the  republics  of  America  had  made  a  choice,  that 
choice  would  have  fallen  to  the  Kaiser  through  sheer 
ignorance  of  the  true  situation.  But  now  that  all 
the  selfish  designs  of  a  depraved  intolerance  of  the 
rights  of  others  are  revealed,  the  moral  victory  is 
greater  than  any  victory  by  force  of  arms.  Well 
did  London  and  Paris  revel  in  joyful  exultation,  for 
they  hailed  their  new  comrade  in  arms  as  the  herald 
of  victory,  the  balance  of  power,  the  prodigal  re¬ 
turned  home,  the  world  converted  to  see  the  justice 
of  their  war  on  behalf  of  humanity. 

The  tottering  credit  became  strengthened,  the  long- 
suffering  moral  stamina  of  the  people  revived,  the 
available  naval  power  doubled  in  efficiency,  and  every 
enemy  bowed  in  final,  unutterable  despair,  for  the 
cause  of  the  Central  Powers  was  then  admittedly 
lost.  Crushed  and  bleeding  from  blow  upon  blow, 
the  retreat  which  signalled  final  defeat  started  yield¬ 
ing  mile  by  mile  the  occupied  territory,  the  words 
ringing  in  their  ears  “to  fight  thus  for  the  ultimate 
peace  of  the  world  and  for  the  liberation  of  its  peo- 


138 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


pies,  the  German  peoples  included.  The  world  must 
be  made  safe  for  Democracy.  We  are  .  .  .  the 

sincere  friends  of  the  German  people.”  This  was  the 
call  indeed  of  humanity  to  human  hearts,  to  cease 
strife  among  men,  proclaiming  “it  is  more  blessed  to 
suffer  than  to  retaliate;  it  is  more  blessed  to  give  than 
to  receive.”  Here  was  one  belligerent  seeking  no 
conquest,  no  dominion,  no  indemnity,  and  no  com¬ 
pensation  for  the  national  sacrifice,  to  exert  all  its 
power  and  employ  all  its  resources  to  bring  the 
Government  of  the  German  Empire  to  terms  and 
end  the  war.  Without  dictating  terms  of  its  peace, 
here  they  are  stated  and  with  the  charity  of  world 
love  for  humanity,  may  the  German  people,  free 
from  the  burden  of  colonies  and  usurped  power,  en¬ 
roll  themselves  among  the  friends  of  univeral  peace, 
teaching  men  right  living,  efficiency,  and  world  ser¬ 
vice. 

We  have  seen  that  the  great  war  was  essentially  a 
conflict  of  central  Europe  against  the  commercial 
nations  of  the  world.  In  the  east  the  life  and  death 
struggle  of  Turkey  and  Bulgaria  with  Serbia  and 
Roumania  served  to  consume  vast  stores  of  am¬ 
munition  and  supplies  of  Germany  and  Russia,  and 
permitted  the  final  disposal  of  the  territory  at  the 
end  of  the  war  as  belligerents.  Here  again  we  find 
that  the  autocratic  powers  had  given  unlimited 
credit  and  furnished  supplies  to  the  leading  men  of 
Bulgaria,  Greece,  Roumania,  and  all  the  minor  pow¬ 
ers,  realizing  that  to  control  a  people  it  is  essential 
to  control  all  the  leaders,  and  then  hold  the  vast 
populations  in  unrealized  subjection  to  these  leaders. 


ARMAGEDDON  139 

But  the  dynastic  powers  failed  where  their  navies 
failed,  when  German  commerce  was  driven  from  the 
seas,  when  German  citizens  of  great  world  republics 
refused  to  betray  the  confidence  of  the  land  of  their 
new  birth  or  adoption,  and  the  vast  storehouses  of 
military  supplies  of  central  Europe  were  offset  by 
supplies  from  North  and  South  America.  The  world- 
empire  dream  of  the  Hapsburgs  was  deep  laid,  but 
they  could  not  know  that  the  United  States  of 
America  from  the  beginning  stood  ready  to  crush  the 
head  of  the  serpent  under  an  iron  heel  of  a  proud  free 
Republicanism  ten  times  more  powerful  in  its  free¬ 
dom  than  all  the  forces  of  tyranny,  deceit,  and  in¬ 
humanity  to  man .  The  Hohenzollerns  could  not  know 
that  Russia  would  shake  off  the  curse  of  intemper¬ 
ance,  and  as  a  mighty  Republic  forever  free  her  people 
from  serfdom.  They  could  not  see  the  thrones  of 
Greece,  Bulgaria,  Austria,  and  Roumania  totter  and 
shake,  upheld  only  by  the  necessity  of  leaders  in  the 
war  game.  They  could  not  realize  the  pit  of  quick¬ 
sand  upon  which  their  Kaiser  built  his  palace,  which 
must  crumble  to  dust  before  the  will  of  a  sovereign 
people.  They  did  see  that  Democracy  was  all  per¬ 
vading  in  Great  Britain,  and  that  there  the  Royal 
Purple,  all  but  in  name,  was  in  popular  control,  and 
they  despised  and  underrated  the  plebeian  power, 
operating  through  councils  of  the  representatives  of 
men.  In  building  their  great  tower  of  Babylon, 
mocking  justice,  fair  play,  and  the  rights  of  humanity, 
of  necessity  they  failed,  and  with  a  crash  and  confu¬ 
sion  of  tongues  the  mighty  conspiracy  has  fallen,  and 
the  miracle  is  that  it  has  fallen  so  soon,  with  such 


140 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


little  loss  of  life,  with  the  destruction  confined  to 
such  small  areas,  and  every  human  being,  bound 
and  free,  rejoices  at  the  triumph  of  righteousness  and 
world- wide  humanitarianism,  usherirfg  in  the  equality 
and  fraternity  of  nations.  In  the  reorganization  of 
world  forces,  a  partnership  for  peace  can  be  estab¬ 
lished  and  maintained  only  by  concerted  authority 
and  action  of  democratic  nations,  for  no  people  will 
by  popular  vote  engage  in  war,  except  in  the  cause  of 
humanity.  To  a  free,  liberty-loving  nation,  only 
righteousness,  fair  play,  and  the  protection  of  her  free 
institutions  are  more  sacred  than  peace,  and  civiliza¬ 
tion  no  longer  is  in  the  balance,  but  has  returned  tc 
its  own,  to  the  free  people  of  earth,  to  be  cherished 
and  nourished,  and  its  seed  of  peace  on  earth  and 
good-will  to  men  scattered  to  every  land,  whereby 
the  twentieth  century  shall  open  the  eyes  of  every 
people  to  the  Light  of  Truth. 

The  fall  of  Prussianism  reduces  the  present  physi¬ 
cal  warfare  to  the  former  stage  of  commercial  and 
industrial  competition,  to  control  world  markets.  If 
the  Republic  of  Poland  can  successfully  be  given 
justice  and  fair  play,  a  present  to  the  Polish  people, 
that  they  may  cultivate  home  arts,  free  from  world- 
empire  ambition,  one  step  is  concluded.  But  as  the 
Slavish  provinces  are  free  from  the  yoke  of  Austria, 
a  new  theatre  of  activity  for  the  land  route  highway 
to  the  East  is  created,  for  the  opportunities  already 
opened  to  the  view  of  the  peoples  of  Europe  can 
never  be  clouded  again,  but  will  surely  be  realized. 
The  German  people,  with  other  Central  Powers  will 
continue  to  present  the  same  problem  of  the  Eastern 


ARMAGEDDON 


141 


highway,  but  because  the  control  of  commerce  is 
without  their  realm,  they  will  peacefully  use  the  arts 
of  science  for  the  culture  of  their  home  life.  But 
although  the  Bosphorus,  open  to  free  trade,  will  un¬ 
cover  vast  avenues  of  produce  markets,  from  east  to 
west  and  north  to  south,  and  create  new  fields  of 
opportunity,  the  problems  of  Europe  are  not  solved 
by  this  war,  nor  can  they  be,  except  as  all  central 
Europe  is  an  open  field  for  all  the  world,  and  all  the 
world  a  free  field  for  the  activities  of  every  people. 
The  great  overland  commercial  highway  from  Con¬ 
stantinople  to  the  Kiel  Canal  will  be  achieved  as  sure¬ 
ly  as  the  Panama  Canal  was  ultimately  completed, 
because  of  the  necessities  of  men  breaking  asunder 
every  restraining  bond.  This  may  mean  a  new  al¬ 
liance  of  inland  peoples  bordering  on  the  highway, 
but  it  will  be  an  alliance  not  to  destroy  civilization, 
but  to  protect  every  allied  nation  against  the  unfair 
commercial  aggression  of  its  neighbor.  Wealth  and 
power  have  proved  the  downfall  of  nations,  for  as 
water  seeks  its  level,  so  the  great  pulse  of  humanity 
destroys  all  authority  not  based  on  the  consent  of 
the  governed,  all  commercialism,  not  based  upon 
equal  opportunity  for  all  men  to  fairly  enjoy  the  pur¬ 
suit  of  a  livelihood.  If  we  wish  to  preserve  peace, 
make  smooth  the  rough  places,  and  let  no  man  nor 
group  of  men  accumulate  and  control  the  inalienable 
rights  of  heritage,  but  as  far  as  possible  make  the 
individual  labor  of  every  man  the  most  marketable 
and  valuable  commodity  in  every  part  of  the  globe. 
Men  who  secure  accumulated  wealth  must  immedi¬ 
ately  cease  active  service  and  exert  all  their  power  to 


142 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


hold  their  ill-gained  capital.  So  Germany  took  the 
toll  of  France,  and  in  her  colonization,  she  thrived, 
but  in  her  lust  to  absorb  gold  and  power,  to  seize 
lands  and  franchises  over  all  the  world,  she  miserably 
failed.  Great  Britain  has  maintained  a  world  em¬ 
pire  by  being  shorn  of  all  power  and  control,  and 
giving  the  doctrine  of  world-wide  free  trade  to  hu¬ 
manity.  Now  must  every  remaining  bondage  of 
men  be  broken,  and  not  merely  must  trade  be  free, 
but  life  itself,  and  every  man  be  a  free  agent  to  mould 
his  own  destiny.  Can  men  who  have  power  and 
wealth  understand  this  situation,  that  no  people  can 
safely  be  held  in  bondage  any  more,  neither  shall 
their  rights  of  representative  government,  which  is 
Democracy,  be  violated?  Uneasy  has  been  the  head 
that  has  worn  a  crown,  but  the  time  is  at  hand  when 
there  will  be  no  crowned  heads  and  the  divine  right 
of  kings  and  emperors  will  pass  to  their  subjects,  so 
that  everywhere  a  man  shall  be  measured  only  by 
the  standards  of  manhood.  Men  hereafter  shall  take 
profit  only  for  service  rendered,  and  never  directly 
use  the  misfortunes  of  their  fellowmen  for  plunder 
and  exploitation.  Can  every  great  nation  of  this 
human  family  reach  this  plain  of  idealism?  If  so, 
some  form  of  universal  peace  may  be  attained.  Can 
we  level  off  the  rough  places  or  will  we  return  to 
the  paths  of  strife  of  individual  against  individual, 
of  nation  against  nation,  piling  up  territory  upon 
territory,  franchise  upon  franchise,  control  upon 
control,  sovereignty  upon  sovereignty,  until  control 
means  slavery,  and  sovereignty  spells  tyranny  over 
men?  We  can  never  accomplish  justice,  except  as 


ARMAGEDDON  143 

all  who  are  capable  of  labor,  toil  for  the  common  wel- 
faie  of  humanity,  and  yet  business,  trade,  commerce, 
and  the  development  of  every  art  and  science  must 
go  on  as  generation  succeeds  generation,  and  nation 
succeeds  nation,  dhus  we  attain  the  conclusion  of 
these  matters:  that  racialism,  nationalism,  and  all 
the  forces  which  array  men  against  their  fellowmen, 
for  any  cause,  must  become  subjective  to  a  world¬ 
wide  humanitarianism,  to  give  to  every  member  of 
the  human  family  an  actual  right  of  self-development 
and  livelihood,  just  because  he  is  a  human  being, 
recognized  as  an  individual  member  of  the  great  world 
family  of  men. 


A  DAY  DREAM 


ON  THE  day  of  the  millennium  the  three  con¬ 
trolling  powers  over  men,  religious,  protec¬ 
tive,  and  industrial  agreed  that  the  Spirit  of 
Brotherhood  should  enter  every  heart,  and  each  citi¬ 
zen  spoke  to  the  other:  “We  no  longer  disagree,  but 
your  thoughts  are  my  thoughts,  and  our  only  compe¬ 
tition  henceforth  shall  be  in  service  and  well  doing.” 
Then  arose  the  preachers  from  ten  thousand  little 
churches  and  cried:  “See,  we  have  no  contentions 
any  longer;  let  us  now  become  teachers  of  men  in 
patience  and  humility.”  Then  arose  ten  thousand 
soldiers  and  policemen  and  said:  “See,  there  is  no 
more  strife  among  men,  but  each  strives  to  outdo  the 
other  in  well-doing.”  Then  arose  also  ten  thousand 
millionaires,  politicians,  and  lawyers,  saying:  “See, 
every  man  does  justice  to  his  fellowmen  with  broth¬ 
erly  love,  and  there  is  no  more  need  for  systems  of 
compulsion.”  Every  art  of  man  was  employed  for 
the  welfare  of  humanity  and  all  men  everywhere 
were  of  one  mind.  There  was  enough  and  plenty  for 
all,  and  they  declared  that  day  a  holiday  set  apart 
for  the  celebration  of  Universal  Peace.  Never  again 
did  men  take  profit  from  the  misfortunes  of  their 
fellowmen.  Ten  thousand  physicians  and  surgeons 
cared  for  all  ails,  and  hospitals  and  dispensaries  were 
free.  Thousands  of  miles  of  boundaries  between  na- 

144 


145 


A  DAY  DREAM 

tions  were  undefended  in  those  days  of  peace.  Courts 
and  Judges  found  no  cases  for  their  decisions,  and 
busied  themselves  as  lawmakers  and  statesmen.  And 
even  Mall  Street  closed  its  doors,  for  it  was  agreed 
that  every  man  should  have  one  hundred  cents  value 
for  every  dollar.  Truly  those  were  the  happy  days 
when  righteousness  ran  over  the  nations  like  a  mighty 
stream,  and  every  church  was  no  longer  the  forum  of 
argument,  but  the  neighborhood  house  for  social, 
service.  Thence  turned  every  lonely  pilgrim,  and 
night  and  day  made  merry,  making  joyful  noise  and 
song  in  learning  the  arts  of  entertainment  and  pleas¬ 
ure.  All  were  brothers  and  sisters  together,  and 
never  again  could  vice  and  greed  have  attractions 
greater  than  those  of  right  living  and  home  pleasure. 
There  arose  ten  thousand  men  who  were  wasteful 
and  extravagant  and  said:  “We  will  economize  that 
there  be  enough  for  all”;  and  ten  thousand  ruthless 
hunters  and  pleasure-seekers  said:  “We  will  not 
destroy  any  more,  but  encourage  thrift,”  and  ten 
thousand  idlers  and  hoboes  swore  off  and  diligently 
used  soap  and  water,  saying:  “  We  will  allow  no  man 
any  more  to  call  us  bums,  but  we  will  make  up  for  lost 
time.”  So  there  was  peace  and  prosperity,  and  upon 
earth  good-will  toward  men.  The  only  really  useless 
structures  were  the  prisons,  for  detectives,  govern¬ 
ment  agents,  and  prosecutors  were  no  longer  needed, 
and  as  fast  as  the  jails  were  emptied  of  prisoners  these 
were  torn  down  and  in  their  stead  were  erected  model 
apartment  houses.  And  leaders  of  politics  with 
leaders  of  business,  and  leaders  of  capital  with  leaders 
of  labor,  and  agricultural  specialists  with  the  banks  of 


146 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


Wall  Street,  all  agreed  never  to  disagree,  so  that  every 
man  was  a  true  patriot. 

So  many  were  employed  in  honest  toil  that  child 
labor  ended  and  the  public  schools  were  used  to 
teach  every  youth  a  trade  or  useful  vocation.  Then 
it  seemed  as  if  the  entire  congregation  insisted  on 
singing  the  Doxology  and  made  such  a  noise  that 
my  dream  was  ended. 


YE  OLDEN  TIMES 


IN  SPEAKING  of  times  of  a  century  ago  history 
portrays  the  country  family  of  ten  children,  all 
attaining  maturity  and  respectability  on  the 
family  income  of  $500  a  year.  At  six  years  of  age, 
each  schoolboy  with  his  napkin  of  sandwiches  for 
lunch  tramped  two  miles  to  the  village  school  of 
twenty  scholars,  where  all  grades  were  taught  by  the 
schoolmaster  with  switches  and  dunce  caps,  seated  on 
slab  board  benches.  The  home  farm  gave  sustenance 
to  five  cows,  fifteen  sheep,  chickens,  geese,  ducks, 
and  the  sorrel  mare,  and  the  farmer  and  his  wife 
personally  laid  out  and  planted  the  orchards  and 
gardens.  Wages  were  generally  paid  for  in  meat, 
eggs,  and  produce,  the  bread  was  a  mixture  of  rye 
and  meal,  and  the  fuel  hard  woods  from  the  forest. 
It  was  a  man’s  work  to  supply  a  family  fireplace 
with  wood  and  a  woman’s  work  to  spin  enough  home- 
spun  to  furnish  sufficient  winter  clothing.  There  was 
no  baker,  no  tailor,  no  piano  or  piano  tuner,  and  no 
hairdresser  or  shoemaker,  except  possibly  some 
traveler  stopped  over  night  from  his  journey.  But 
frequently  all  the  neighborhood  families  gathered  for 
mutual  assistance  and  good  cheer  at  sewing  bees, 
stone  bees,  quilting  parties,  or  to  salt  down  fresh- 
killed  oxen  or  swine.  Like  Longfellow’s  Arcadian 
Community,  the  women,  single  and  married,  gathered 

147 


148 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


from  far  and  near,  with  tea,  talk,  and  stitehing,  to 
sew  rag  carpets  and  patchwork  quilts.  In  the  even¬ 
ing  the  menfolks  joined  the  festivities  and  often,  after 
weeks  of  labor,  a  day  would  be  set  apart  for  athletic 
sports,  where  the  young  men  could  contest  in  wrestl¬ 
ing,  racing,  and  chasing  the  greased  pig. 

The  old-fashioned  country  living  was  much  better 
than  we  realize.  We  wonder  at  the  capacious  attics 
and  cellars  of  the  homestead  dwellings.  But  we 
would  wonder  still  more  to  see  the  cords  of  firewood 
and  dried  corn  and  hay,  the  garrets  filled  with  pump¬ 
kins,  apples,  and  canned  fruits,  every  rafter  hung 
with  boneset,  peppers,  and  sage,  and  the  floors 
heaped  with  flax  and  wool.  In  the  vast  basement 
cellars  are  stored  barrels  of  vinegar  and  cider,  tubs 
of  butter  and  eggs,  firkins  of  salted  beef,  pork,  and 
mutton,  and  huge  bins  of  potatoes,  turnips,  and  cab¬ 
bages,  not  to  mention  maple  syrup  and  family  med¬ 
icines.  Crying  babies,  as  well  as  weak-stomached 
men,  were  silenced  with  hot  toddy,  medicine  bran¬ 
dies,  soothing  syrups,  and  tansey  bitters,  but  cider, 
hard  and  sweet,  was  the  universal  beverage.  Every¬ 
where  were  signs  of  thrift,  piety,  and  economy,  and 
many  lived  to  ripe  old  age,  to  tell  the  stories  of  long 
ago  to  their  great  grandchildren.  So  living  was  not 
so  bad  after  all. 

Neither  was  the  social  life  absolutely  dull  by  any 
means.  The  village  tavern  drew  large  crowds  of 
story  tellers,  and  frequently  the  tavern  balls  were  at¬ 
tended  by  deacons  and  ministers,  who  mingled  in  the 
society  of  the  people.  Matches  between  rival  drum¬ 
mers,  with  music  by  cornets,  jewsharps,  bagpipes, 


YE  OLDEN  TIMES 


149 


and  the  violin,  set  the  pace  for  dances.  Everybody 
attended  a  wedding  as  a  public  entertainment,  and 
celebrated  the  event  with  plays  and  horse  fiddles, 
made  by  rasping  planks  over  gum-rosined  packing 
boxes.  Likewise  funerals  brought  great  crowds  even 
to  the  graves,  and  the  village  church  choir  rehearsals 
were  affairs  of  youthful  merriment.  The  intercourse 
of  all  classes  was  friendly  and  the  winter  days  pleasant 
with  parties  for  hunting,  sleighing,  skating,  and  rus¬ 
tic  sports. 

Now,  then,  ye  modern  city  dwellers,  spurring  on 
the  endless  confusion  of  civilization  with  your  com¬ 
plicated  progress,  stop  a  minute,  and  think  of  fertile 
fields,  snow-white  plains,  and  country  landscapes,  and 
compare  them  with  the  huge  marble  halls  of  city 
palaces.  In  the  rapid  advance  of  industrial  func¬ 
tions,  have  democracy  and  liberty  stood  triumphant, 
working  out  the  good  of  all  men?  Country  people 
need  not  be  envious  of  the  intense  life  of  our  cities, 
and  our  urban  population  retains  the  hope,  at  least 
partially,  to  give  to  their  children  some  knowledge  of 
rustic  enjoyments  and  employments  of  simple  coun¬ 
try  life  and  habits.  The  homely  things  of  nature  are 
not  wholly  transcended  by  the  glitter  and  show  of 
imitation,  and  the  intense  civilization  of  older  na¬ 
tions  repeatedly  returns  men  to  the  old-fashioned 
life  of  natural  living  upon  the  farmland  and  country 
estate. 


PACIFICISM 


" |  .^AINT  heart  ne’er  won  fair  lady”  is  as  true  in 
|~i  war  as  in  love,  where  all  is  fair;  and  competi¬ 
tion  is  war,  for  there  are  as  many  varieties  of 
warfare  as  of  combustion,  and  in  fact  rust  and  decay 
may  be  more  destructive  than  fire.  The  conquest  of 
strong  aggressive  manhood  over  the  elements,  over 
the  beasts  of  the  field,  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  over 
all  lesser  man  is  constantly  apparent,  as  civilization 
advances;  and  woe  to  the  weak,  the  undefended  and 
the  helpless,  for  unguarded  wealth  has  ever  been  the 
lawful  prey  of  nations  as  well  as  of  individuals. 
There  is  no  retreat  from  progress,  no  right  to  stand 
still,  no  opportunity  for  a  nation  in  safety  to  retire 
from  active  business,  and  ask  to  be  let  alone  to  enjoy 
peace  and  prosperity,  while  in  other  lands  men  toil 
and  suffer  calamity  and  serfdom.  Men  say:  “ Peace, 
peace,”  but  there  is  no  peace,  for  fire  must  be  fought 
with  water  and  fire,  and  whereas  no  effective  method 
to  avoid  fire  has  been  found,  so  no  means  to  avoid 
warfare  can  be  depended  upon  for  protection;  no 
treaties  are  in  the  final  analysis  so  binding,  as  to 
secure  permanent  safety.  Arguments  are  good  to 
gain  time:  Peace  at  any  price  is  a  word  of  terror, 
which  spells  ruin,  decay,  and  sure  destruction.  The 
umpire  must  always  be  a  powerful  man  backed  by 
personal  strength,  for  fair  decisions  will  never  save 

150 


PACIFICISM 


151 


him  from  attacks  arising  from  the  heated  passions  of 
contending  combatants.  This  is  a  principle  of  vital 
importance  to  individuals  and  to  nations,  that  he  who 
would  eat  must  work,  and  he  who  would  live  must 
fight  the  grand  conflict  for  the  survival  of  the  fittest. 

Success  and  enjoyment  of  the  fruits  of  labor  alone 
are  sufficient  to  arouse  envy  and  hatred  in  the  hearts 
of  covetous  men,  and  the  utmost  righteousness  of 
mind  will  never  protect  against  the  immutable  greed 
of  human  nature;  be  merciful,  be  just;  be  loving, 
be  kind;  be  happy,  be  a  toiler,  a  planner,  a  genius; 
but  above  all  be  healthy,  be  strong;  be  organized  and 
be  prepared.  No  member  of  a  democracy  believes  in 
war,  believes  in  the  power  of  might  and  armed  force, 
nor  believes  in  wronging  because  we  are  strong.  So 
no  truehearted  strong  man  will  use  his  strength  to 
attack  the  weak,  but  he  will  have  many  an  oppor¬ 
tunity  to  defend  the  weak,  and  use  his  strength  for 
righteousness  and  justice.  We  cannot  all  say  we 
will  not  fight,  but  will  hire  our  protectors  and  pay 
them.  Then  where  shall  we  draw  the  line?  It  is 
wrong  to  fight  in  an  unjust  cause,  but  the  man  who 
cannot  or  will  not  fight  in  a  just  cause  is  like  the  man 
who  will  not  work,  a  burden  upon  his  fellow  men. 
This  is  not  a  call  to  conflict,  but  a  call  to  active 
service  by  thought,  word,  and  deed.  Some  fight 
by  scheming,  some  by  writing,  some  by  inventions 
and  some  by  brute  force.  When  Erickson  invented 
the  turreted  monitor  he  was  a  fighter,  his  mind  and 
soul  were  active  to  genius.  The  first  steamship, 
the  first  aeroplane,  the  first  submarine,  were  all 
invented  by  fighters,  men  alive  to  the  conflict  be- 


152 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


tween  men  and  men,  who  realized  that  life  is  real, 
life  is  earnest,  and  we  valiantly  strive  to  valiantly 
live.  To  make  a  healthy  people,  let  every  man 
strive  to  maintain  his  own  individual  health  and 
that  of  his  family.  To  make  a  successful  people, 
let  every  man  struggle  for  success.  To  make  a 
strong,  sturdy,  self-reliant,  efficient  people,  let  every 
man  strive  to  be  strong,  sturdy,  self-reliant,  and 
efficient.  Laws,  rules,  regulations,  and  theories  never 
accomplish  anything  unless  acted  upon ;  likewise  kind 
words,  thoughts  of  inspiration,  and  dreams  of  power 
avail  nothing  unless  expressed  in  active  lives  of  living 
men. 

Patriotism  is  to  a  nation  what  ambition  is  to  an 
individual.  It  spurs  the  citizens  to  national  prog¬ 
ress,  righteousness,  and  honorable  justice.  True 
ambition  is  to  do  right  though  the  heavens  fall,  and 
warfare  is  too  often  the  only  means  of  defense  for 
truth  and  fair  play.  We  can  never  with  safety  evade 
the  truth  and  deceive  ourselves  in  fancied  security. 
When  a  fire  starts,  the  utmost  celerity  and  powerfully 
applied  force  is  necessary  to  subdue  it  in  its  earliest 
stages,  that  it  may  not  spread.  Destruction  is  an 
unpleasant  duty,  even  of  evil  things,  but  the  constant 
war  of  good  against  evil,  of  cleanliness  against  filth, 
of  health  against  disease,  of  man  against  destructive 
rodents,  insects,  and  bacteria  must  go  on,  or  forces 
of  destruction  will  spread  and  soon  prevail.  So 
courageous  men  will  live;  courage,  foresight,  and 
thrift  will  struggle  on;  and  he  who  can  and  does 
endure  hardships  and  toil  will  wear  the  crown.  The 
man  who  refuses  to  perform  every  disagreeable  duty. 


PACIFICISM 


153 


the  woman  who  shirks  every  responsibility,  the  child 
whose  education  does  not  include  a  working,  prac¬ 
tical  experience,  preparing  for  active  participation 
in  human  affairs,  are  menaces  to  society  to  stir  up 
future  envy,  strife,  and  dissatisfaction.  They  will 
be  idle  hands,  and  idle  hands  as  idle  tongues  in  their 
unceasing  activity,  are  always  alike  full  of  evil. 
Peace  is  not  necessarily  good,  no  more  than  stagna¬ 
tion  is  perfection.  The  cause  of  righteousness  must 
be  upheld,  for  what  kind  of  a  mother  would  it  be, 
who  in  motherly  kindness  would  suffer  her  child  to 
be  injured  or  wronged  before  her  eyes,  and  not  spring 
with  avenging  hands  upon  the  tormentor.  We  may 
stand  insults  against  ourselves  alone,  if  we  desire, 
but  no  individual  or  nation  has  a  moral  right  to  be 
so  weak  as  to  be  unable  to  protect  against  wrongs 
against  others,  or  protesting,  to  be  unable  to  back 
up  the  protest  by  force  of  arms.  Discretion  is  the 
better  part  of  valor,  but  every  individual  needs 
courage  with  caution  and  strength  with  bravery. 

We  are  dealing  with  facts  not  theories,  with  the 
struggle  for  life  in  a  finite  world,  where  laws  are 
violated,  theft  is  committed,  murder  is  perpetrated, 
and  war  often  becomes  an  unreasonable,  uncontrol¬ 
lable  reality  between  nations,  just  as  feuds  arise  be¬ 
tween  individuals.  A  stitch  in  time  saves  nine, 
and  the  forces  of  peace  are  needed  not  to  start  war, 
but  to  meet  or  quench  it.  Great  statesmen  have  a 
sixth  sense,  which  enables  them  to  interpret  signs, 
to  predict  events,  to  forecast  conclusions,  and  in  cool 
calculation  the  true  leader  sees  the  future  and  warns 
the  people  of  danger.  But  no  man  is  safe  who  is 


154 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


unhealthy,  who  is  unable  to  work,  who  has  no  ambi¬ 
tion  for  himself  and  members  of  his  family.  And  if 
he  be  married,  his  affairs  are  not  in  satisfactory  shape 
unless  his  wife  is  in  active  sympathy  with  all  his 
ideas,  his  aims,  and  his  purposes  in  life,  so  that  they 
mutually  sacrifice  and  pull  together.  So  no  nation 
is  secure  unless  all  citizens,  filled  with  patriotic 
fervor,  stand  ready  to  back  up  their  leaders  to  a  man 
and  fight  as  a  compact  organized  force  for  national 
ideals.  For  a  powerful  victorious  man  to  show  mercy 
is  the  privilege  of  valor,  but  for  a  weak  person  to 
dodge  the  duty  of  the  struggle  of  right  against  wrong 
is  the  humiliation  of  unpreparedness  and  cowardice. 
The  wise  man  seeth  the  danger  afar  off  and  makes  his 
preparation  for  protection. 

But  preparation  for  aggression  is  just  as  necessary. 
As  Abraham  Lincoln  said:  “ Stand  with  anybody 
that  stands  right.”  There  will  naturally  arise  an 
alliance  among  the  righteous,  in  the  same  manner  as 
an  alliance  arises  among  all  unrighteous  forces.  It 
is  difficult  to  judge  between  right  and  wrong,  and 
therefore  delay  may  be  advisable  to  arrive  at  a  just 
decision,  as  to  where  righteousness  is,  as  between 
contending  forces.  But  in  the  long  run  the  nation  or 
individual  whose  purposes  are  evil  will  resort  to  evil 
methods  to  further  unfair  objectives,  which  will  at 
once  betray  the  hidden  blackness.  There  can  be  no 
peace  where  wrong  thrives,  no  permanent  lasting 
security  where  wrong  is  triumphant,  so  it  is  foolish 
to  consider  any  sacrifice  of  honor  to  gain  a  respite  or 
to  try  pacification,  for  pacification  means  submission 
to  some  form  of  slavery,  such  as  may  be  designed  by 


PACIFICISM 


155 


evil  to  hold  the  good  in  subjection.  Whenever  war 
comes,  following  competition  and  commercial  antag¬ 
onism,  war  must  go  on,  until  some  decisive  victory 
lulls  the  nations  to  a  permanent  or  temporary  relapse 
from  active  warfare,  back  to  the  more  effective  but 
slower  methods  of  educating  every  man,  woman,  and 
child  to  efficiency,  strength,  and  co-operative  action. 
Here  the  best  trained  people  win  and  assume  leader¬ 
ship,  for  temporary  leadership  among  nations  is  the 
sole  reward  of  warfare,  the  flowery  crown  of  roses 
with  thorns  of  envy,  hatred,  and  insubordination. 
Every  nation  as  every  citizen,  should  have  complete 
equality,  and  share  equally  all  the  duties  and  burdens 
of  civilization  so  that  men  learn  to  spend  their  lives  in 
production  and  never  revert  to  the  barbarian  instincts 
of  destruction  and  retaliation.  Can  we  ever  reach 
such  a  peace  of  equality  before  international  law, 
that  all  the  world  unite  to  inflict  punishment  upon 
every  transgressor  against  reasonable  authority?  Can 
we  free  society  from  the  crimes  of  theft,  of  murder, 
of  covetousness  and  of  evil  in  high  places?  Never 
yet  has  any  society  succeeded  even  temporarily,  so 
even  as  the  poor  are  always  with  us,  we  must  be 
prepared  to  defend  righteousness  and  justice  as  an 
incentive  to  constantly  maintain  individual  strength, 
valor,  and  efficiency. 

War  is  not  of  itself  wrong  for  the  history  of  every 
evolution  of  progress  and  civilization  is  told  in  annals 
of  war.  Duty  demands  action  of  men,  and  death  is 
simply  inactivity  and  inactivity  is  death.  Pacificism 
will  never  cure  any  evils  at  home  or  abroad,  for  all 
evil-minded  men  wish  others  to  be  simply  pacificists, 


156  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

so  that  they  can  be  let  alone  to  profit  by  their  evil 
doing.  It  is  better  to  pay  all  politicians  double 
wages,  than  to  have  investigations  of  graft  and  pork 
barrel  legislation,  which  operates  as  the  man  who 
closed  the  stable  door  after  the  horse  was  stolen, 
seeks  to  prevent  the  wrong  after  the  evil  is  consum¬ 
mated,  and  makes  wisdom  in  evading  law  a  virtue. 
We  find  the  Government  paying  huge  advertising  ex¬ 
penses  to  get  bids  at  proposed  lowest  prices,  and  then 
the  bids  manipulated  to  accept  the  highest  bidder; 
whereas  no  sane  business  firm  ever  uses  such  a  policy, 
as  the  names  of  manufacturers  and  supply  houses 
are  easily  ascertained,  and  fair  bids  obtainable  upon 
request.  Patriotism  can  hardly  exist  in  the  mind  of 
a  man  who  deliberately  makes  double  profit  out  of 
Government  contracts,  yet  this  is  proved  a  too  com¬ 
mon  occurrence  in  America,  because  of  the  over  sup¬ 
ply  of  politicians,  who  in  one  year  must  earn  enough 
to  live  ten.  The  great  weakness  of  our  Democracy  is 
the  tendency  of  educated  men  to  seek  employment 
as  lawyers,  money-lenders,  and  operation  promoters, 
being  unwilling  to  do  any  real  work,  but  rather  hin¬ 
dering  all  progress,  and  taking  profit  from  every 
business  failure,  from  every  crime,  and  from  every 
misfortune  of  their  fellow  men.  What  counts  is 
active  service  and  hard  meritorious  work,  and  our 
lawyers  should  be  few  in  number,  but  high  in  personal 
qualifications  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  in  the  deal¬ 
ings  of  men.  In  case  of  crime,  it  is  an  objective  to 
avoid  the  repetition  of  crime;  in  bankruptcy  it  is  an 
objective  to  avoid  business  failures;  and  in  war  it  is 
an  objective  to  perpetuate  peace. 


PACIFICISM  157 

Before  war  is  declared,  Pacificism  is  a  principle 
open  to  argument  in  the  deliberations  over  the  pros¬ 
pective  national  policy.  Public  spirited  men,  criti¬ 
cized  for  expressing  their  convictions  against  aggres¬ 
sive  action,  may  be  most  unjustly  condemned,  for 
America  is  a  land  of  freedom  of  opinion,  and  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  Democracy  requires  the  public  utterance  of 
convictions,  carefully  thought  out,  and  if  weighed 
in  the  balance  and  found  wanting,  then  submit  to 
authority.  But  when  the  national  policy  is  deter¬ 
mined  in  favor  of  warfare,  then  there  is  no  longer 
room  for  argument;  honor  must  be  maintained,  life 
and  property  protected,  and  righteous  warfare  re¬ 
lentlessly  waged,  to  stamp  out  wrong  and  protect 
humanity  against  injustice  in  every  form.  By  war 
a  nation  is  tried;  the  dross  is  consumed  by  fire  and 
the  gold  refined.  The  nation  learns  organization 
and  unity  and  the  idle  unreasonable  members  of 
society  are  driven  to  activity  and  sympathetic  co¬ 
operation  with  their  fellow  citizens.  Men  learn  as 
they  meet  men,  that  fundamentally  all  human  beings, 
under  like  training  and  circumstances,  reach  the 
same  conclusions,  so  that  men  must  be  judged  as 
men,  regardless  of  these  so-called  convictions,  which 
depend  upon  the  creed  of  the  fathers  or  the  circum¬ 
stances  of  parental  training.  Successful  Democracy 
depends  upon  an  absolute  similar  ty  of  national  be¬ 
liefs,  customs,  and  ideals,  together  with  the  highest 
possible  form  of  universal  military  and  commercial 
training  for  all  citizens  and  a  common  language  and 
literature  for  all  the  people.  Every  deviation  from 
an  absolute  unity  of  national  ideals  is  dangerous  to 


158 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

Democracy,  no  matter  how  small  a  proportion  of  the 
population  is  affected.  To  this  end  individualism 
must  be  subservient  to  nationalism,  family  life  and 
home  morals  should  be  encouraged  and  protected, 
and  the  high  school  education  of  our  young  men  and 
women  directed  toward  economy  and  thrift  and 
away  from  excitement  and  luxurious  ease.  When  a 
great  nation  bends  its  unlimited  resources  toward 
accomplishing  an  object,  and  the  people  with  busi¬ 
nesslike  energy  get  to  work,  the  task  is  easy;  but 
when  citizens  shirk  their  duty,  leave  hard  work  to 
others,  and  seek  only  pleasure  and  the  accumulation 
of  wealth,  great  national  projects  are  laid  aside  and 
mines  of  wealth  and  opportunity  are  untouched. 

Only  by  commerce  can  nations  rise  to  supremacy, 
and  that  the  future  will  realize  a  combination  of  all 
commercial  nations  to  guard  and  make  safe  every 
ocean  highway,  is  an  irresistible  conclusion.  World 
commerce  can  never  be  suspended  for  the  convenience 
of  nations  desiring  to  fly  at  each  others’  throats  in  a 
titanic  death  grapple,  and  world-wide  Democracy 
will  usher  in  universal  peace.  Pacificism  is  a  new 
term  which  does  not  apply  to  war,  but  when  war  is 
no  more  it  will  apply  to  peace,  not  peace  at  any 
price,  nor  peace  with  inactivity  and  decadence,  but 
peace  with  fair  and  square  democratic  equality  and 
good-will  of  all  men  toward  and  with  all  their  fellow 
men.  In  the  face  of  a  thousand  submarines  with 
well  provisioned  bases  of  supplies,  it  seems  that  no 
nation  could  even  remotely  hope  to  successfully  in¬ 
vade  or  even  attack  a  land  across  the  sea,  so  that 
submarines  should  be  an  actual  solution  of  war 


PACIFICISM  159 

problems,  making  the  probable  destruction  so  great 
that  some  plan  of  universal  peace  must  be  evolved, 
so  that  all  nations  be  free  from  the  terror  of  inter¬ 
national  strife. 

It  is  a  mistake  for  a  state  or  nation  to  pass  or 
keep  laws  on  the  statute  books  with  no  intention  of 
compelling  obedience,  but  the  spirit  of  the  people 
should  be  educated  to  right  living,  so  that  no  laws 
shall  apply  to  only  a  part  of  the  population.  So  na¬ 
tions  should  not  make  treaties  by  way  of  compromise, 
with  no  intention  of  carrying  out  the  provisions,  as 
politicians  often  make  laws  with  loop  holes  to  permit 
evasion.  Patriotism  demands  the  sacrifice  of  all  in¬ 
dividualism  for  nationalism,  and  our  generation  of 
peace-loving,  conflict-refusing,  charity  toward  all 
declaring,  American  citizens,  now  has  registered  ten 
million  sons  to  military  service  and  dedicated  its 
daughters  to  the  Red  Cross.  We  have  always  re¬ 
garded  America  as  immune  from  attack,  and  a  death 
duel  between  the  forces  of  monarchy  and  democracy 
never  occurred  to  our  mind,  and  even  in  the  midst  of 
the  fray,  America  could  not  believe  true  the  reports 
of  terrorization  of  peaceable  citizens  by  bombs  from 
dirigibles  and  the  destruction  of  neutral  vessels  with 
women  and  children,  carried  on  as  a  national  policy 
of  emnity  against  the  Spirit  of  Democratic  Liberty. 
But  now  in  deadly  earnest  every  unit  of  the  American 
army,  navy,  and  productive  power  is  actually  en¬ 
gaged  and  actively  employed  in  the  conflict  of  na¬ 
tions,  fighting  in  the  common  cause,  and  where  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  fly,  there  can  be  no  serfdom  and  no 
slavery.  There  is  nothing  half-hearted  or  hesitat- 


160  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

ingly  ambiguous  about  the  new  offensive  warfare  of 
America.  The  combined  forces  of  barbarism  and 
feudalism  are  making  a  last  tremendous  feeble  effort 
to  outrage  the  equality  of  man  and  the  fraternalism 
of  humanitarianism,  and  as  chaff  before  the  wind 
the  evil  forces  are  being  mowed  down  and  driven  to 
the  last  stand. 

America,  tuned  to  peace  and  brotherhood,  avoided 
war,  until  war  was  being  actually  waged  against  all 
that  our  liberty  loving  forefathers  shed  their  blood 
to  establish,  that  free  institutions  be  the  birthright 
and  heritage  of  the  American  people.  The  world 
looks  to  America  to  fight  and  win,  and  American 
ingenuity,  braun,  and  all  the  strength  of  the  new 
Western  civilization  will  solve  the  problem  of  fratri¬ 
cidal  warfare,  be  a  terrible  foe,  but  a  merciful  con¬ 
queror. 

Democracy  organized  will  be  the  watchword  for  the 
next  generation.  A  story  is  told  of  a  Southern 
planter  who  was  an  expert  whip  snapper,  and  as  he 
drove  his  team  along  the  road,  he  first  snapped  a 
fly  off  one  ear  of  his  horse,  and  then  off  the  other. 
An  old  negro  at  his  side  pointed  to  a  hornets’  nest 
near  the  roadside  saying:  44 Boss  let’s  see  you  snap  a 
bee  out  of  that  hornets’  nest.”  44 Nothing  doing, 
that’s  an  organization,”  was  the  reply.  And  so  the 
Democracy  of  America  now  shakes  hands  with  every 
Democratic  liberty-loving  people  of  the  world,  and 
lays  her  wealth,  her  youth,  her  all,  on  the  altar  of 
sacrifice,  that  free  institutions  shall  not  perish  but 
rather  shall  encompass  the  earth  with  liberty  and 
blessings  for  all  mankind.  America  stands  firmly  for 


PACIFICISM 


161 


the  right,  and  participates  in  the  war,  as  a  sacred 
trust,  to  make  the  whole  world  not  only  safe  for 
Democracy  but  imbued  with  every  principle  of  Lib¬ 
erty  and  Freedom.  No  people  upon  earth,  no  matter 
how  down  trodden  or  oppressed,  can  refuse  the  call 
to  fraternalism,  and  here  America  has  dedicated 
herself  and  her  all  to  the  installation  of  the  principles 
of  the  brotherhood  of  man  upon  every  hearthstone 
throughout  the  world,  to  make  men  see  their  duty 
clear,  that  strife,  contention,  and  fratricide  forever 
cease,  and  men  everywhere  strive  only  to  raise  the 
fallen,  to  educate  the  ignorant,  to  free  all  nations 
from  vice  and  pestilence,  and  usher  in  an  era  of  Peace 
on  Earth  and  Good-Will  to  Men. 

It  is  really  a  miracle  that  these  United  States 
have  passed  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  of  national 
life  in  comparative  security.  Never  have  we  al¬ 
lowed  to  our  government  any  real  power  to  organize 
our  national  policy,  build  highways,  and  harbors, 
or  develop  commerce  and  transportation.  In  a  cer¬ 
tain  sense,  it  may  have  been  our  safety,  for  in  aban¬ 
doning  all  international  commerce,  we  paid  a  very 
high  tribute  to  all  freight  and  passenger  carrying 
steamship  lines  of  foreign  nations,  so  that  these 
foreign  nations  were  satisfied  with  our  bounty.  Now 
we  are  supplying  our  government  with  countless 
funds  with  which  these  United  States  will  be  equipped 
with  an  army  and  navy  which  will  be  able  to  meet 
any  foe,  in  addition  to  being  seasoned  in  service. 
Our  progressive  Democracy  is  putting  on  a  protective 
coat  of  mail,  which  will  be  of  even  more  value  to  us 
in  the  future  than  in  the  present.  It  is  in  reality 


162 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


not  safe  for  any  nation  to  be  unarmed  and  off  guard, 
and  men  capable  of  doing  their  full  duty  in  time  of 
war  are  likewise  capable  of  fulfilling  the  obligations 
of  citizenship  best  in  time  of  peace.  Likewise  no 
nation  is  safe  which  has  not  within  its  own  borders 
adequate  means  of  complete  self-sustenance  and  self- 
defense.  This  is  not  a  matter  of  hostility  toward 
other  powers,  nor  an  act  showing  lack  of  confidence 
in  our  international  relationships,  but  simply  a  sane 
act  of  ordinary  precaution,  to  have  the  best  army  and 
navy,  just  as  the  modern  city  wants  the  best  modern 
fire-fighting  apparatus.  We  cannot  depend  upon 
treaties  nor  upon  disarmament,  if  such  a  thing  should 
ever  be  seriously  contemplated,  but  simply  and  solely 
upon  our  own  efficiency  and  prowess. 

America  must  sacrifice  ease,  luxury,  waste,  and 
sports,  and  learn  economy,  efficiency,  duty,  and  ser¬ 
vice.  Our  Democracy  in  the  past  has  through  chance 
escaped  a  trial  by  fire,  but  now  we  see  the  terrible 
calamity  we  have  narrowly  avoided  by  our  oversight 
of  preparedness  for  war,  and  we  will  not  turnback  from 
this  objective  to  make  our  nation  a  well- defended 
organized  democratic  unit,  but  rather  we  shall  hold 
our  own  and  build  up  such  a  reputation  for  stalwart 
efficiency  that  none  can  forecast  the  failure  of  a 
democratic  rule.  We  will  cultivate  Kaiserism  with¬ 
out  the  Kaiser,  where  the  authority  controlling  every 
industry  and  registered  citizen,  with  an  iron  hand, 
shall  proceed  direct  from  the  people,  yet  be  as  solid, 
stable,  and  unyielding,  as  the  rock  of  Gibraltar. 
Democracy  will  never  again  be  so  foolish  and  unre¬ 
sponsive  to  the  advice  of  her  great  men,  as  not  to  pre- 


PACIFICISM  163 

pare  fully  for  possible  warfare.  No  nation  can  con¬ 
tinue  at  the  pace  we  have  set  for  ourselves,  where  so 
huge  a  proportion  of  our  population  is  unproductive. 
The  Public  School  System  is  at  its  highest  efficiency 
for  handling  men  and  is  the  reasonable  foundation 
for  military  training  and  practical  business  and  com¬ 
mercial  education.  No  intelligent  man  will  deny  the 
danger  of  letting  our  navy  strength  lessen  and  decay, 
and  our  individual  capacity  for  hard  work  and  labor 
remain  at  a  minimum.  Times  of  peace  are  con¬ 
tinually  fraught  with  dangers,  and  America  must 
now  physically  prepare  herself  for  men’s  duties,  and 
for  women  s  duties,  and  get  back  to  earth.  Hercules 
fought  a  giant  who  became  seven  times  more  powerful 
every  time  he  fell  to  the  ground,  and  that  is  what 
America  needs,  we  must  fall  back  to  the  ground,  to 
become  a  self-supporting,  self-defended  people,  able 
to  fight  for  the  right  and  defend  against  wrong. 

The  only  possible  principle  in  application,  is  for 
every  American  citizen,  if  capable,  to  be  a  soldier, 
on  guard  at  all  times,  to  discover  and  thwart  the  evil 
designs  of  every  enemy.  To  classify  all  citizens  by 
ages  will  accomplish  even  greater  results  in  efficiency, 
by  enabling  the  Government  to  directly  attend  to 
every  need  of  every  citizen.  We  are  not  training  our 
young  men  and  young  women  for  war,  but  for  a 
spirited  active  peace,  to  prove  to  the  world  that 
Democracy  can  acquire  all  the  good  efficiency  of  the 
single  purpose  of  monarchy,  without  any  of  the  at¬ 
tendant  evils.  But  there  is  no  use  in  talking  about 
reform  and  industry  without  going  to  work,  and  that 
is  the  real  national  objective.  Nations  seeking  huge 


164 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


indemnities  will  naturally  attack  weak  and  wealthy 
lands  as  easy  prey,  but  no  criminal  will  ever  attack  a 
man  if  he  knows  he  is  awake  and  has  a  gun.  The  old 
adage  of  speaking  softly  but  carrying  a  big  stick  wTill 
often  calm  down  even  a  bulldog;  and  with  the  soft 
words  which  turn  away  wrath,  work  efficiency,  organ¬ 
ize  systematically,  toil  effectively  and  continually  ? 
until  we  have  our  harbors  deepened,  our  streams  pro¬ 
viding  light,  heat,  and  power,  and  our  ships  in  every 
port  and  upon  every  sea. 

Our  Monroe  Doctrine  we  all  realize  we  must  be  in  a 
position  to  jealously  guard  for  any  infringement 
thereof  is  fraught  with  the  greatest  peril  to  our 
future  prosperity.  We  stand  as  the  natural  pro¬ 
tector  and  ally  of  every  Republic  both  of  North  and 
South  America,  and  of  Democracy  everywhere,  and 
our  only  rivalry  and  contention  must  be  in  beneficial 
service  to  extend  Democratic  equality  to  all  mankind. 
There  is  no  middle  road;  if  we  are  to  preserve  demo¬ 
cratic  principles,  we  must  fight  for  them;  go, forward 
and  spread  them  far  and  wide  as  far  as  man  is  found. 
What  America  needs  is  a  grand  soul-shaking,  reality- 
realizing  conversion  of  all  citizens  to  such  a  type  of 
pure  patriotism  as  will  make  every  citizen  determine 
to  work  overtime,  and  encourage  every  member  of 
his  family  to  work  and  save,  and  then  devote  all  the 
savings  toward  the  purchase  of  Liberty  Bonds.  The 
opportunity  of  these  United  States  is  at  hand  and 
people  must  respond.  Those  who  have  never  worked 
must  now  share  in  patriotic  labor,  and  where  we 
fight  for  the  right,  it  is  up  to  us  never  to  shirk,  never 
to  back  down,  never  to  falter,  and  never  to  fail. 


PACIFICISM 


165 

Peace  can  never  be  permanently  purchased  at  the 
price  of  national  honor,  and  the  national  honor  of 
every  civilized  nation  is  at  stake.  But  Truth  and 
Righteousness  are  marching  on  and  will  never  be 
turned  back.  Every  stronghold  taken  is  well  en¬ 
trenched  and  valiantly  held,  and  men  are  being  made 
free.  The  American  Democracy  of  the  future  will 
be  far  superior  and  far  more  effectively  powerful 
then  any  nation  the  world  has  ever  known,  but  we 
have  not  yet  measured  its  power,  nor  can  we  even 
remotely  trace  any  limitations  to  the  influence  of  the 
American  people  for  the  spread  of  righteousness  to 
every  land  and  realm. 

World  peace  is  a  beautiful  thing  and  undoubtedly 
will  be  the  theme  of  ages,  but  organization  and  effi¬ 
ciency  are  required  to  gain  respect  and  recognition 
in  peace  as  in  war,  just  as  the  man  who  has  wealth, 
influence,  and  knowledge  gets  the  high  place  and 
recognition  in  a  business  deal,  while  the  inactive, 
subservient  useless  man,  even  though  he  have 
wealth,  is  thrust  aside.  We  must  reform  corruption 
in  American  politics  by  teaching  Patriotism,  and 
reform  physical  feeble  impotence  by  teaching  pro¬ 
ductive  capacity.  Then  we  will  be  able  to  prove 
that  Democracy  is  self-supporting  and  capable  of 
guiding  its  own  ship  of  state.  Now  that  Our  Re¬ 
public  has  become  a  man,  we  must  put  away  childish 
things  and  think  seriously  of  all  the  problems  con¬ 
fronting  the  nations  of  the  world.  We  cannot  live 
to  ourselves  alone;  we  have  the  duties  of  a  nation 
before  us,  to  spend  and  be  spent,  to  wrestle  with 
every  question  of  state,  to  make  ourselves  strong  in 


160 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  present  and  stronger  in  the  future,  and  to  avoid 
all  that  is  evil  and  cleave  to  that  which  is  good.  As 
with  men,  so  with  nations,  the  greatest  life  privilege 
is  to  cultivate  and  lay  deep  the  bonds  of  friendship 
and  good-will,  and  it  is  better  to  give  than  to  receive. 
In  fact,  by  being  liberal,  men  and  nations  gain  most; 
the  niggard  loses  what  is  most  dear,  his  self-respect, 
and  what  is  most  regrettable  of  all,  he  seldom  realizes 
his  loss  until  it  is  too  late  to  mend.  Now  is  the  time 
to  form  deep  and  lasting  friendships  among  nations, 
to  co-ordinate  our  own  policies,  and  root  out  all 
discrimination  and  jealousy,  not  only  between  Amer¬ 
icans  with  Americans,  but  internationally  between 
nations.  Friendship  with  far  Eastern  peoples  is  espe¬ 
cially  easy  to  cultivate.  A  gift  of  a  Statue  of  Liberty  at 
Petrograd,  a  Temple  dedicated  to  international  com¬ 
mercial  information  at  Tokyo,  and  Monuments  to  Our 
Common  Ideals  at  Paris  and  London  will  cement  bonds 
of  friendship,  and  prove  that  the  aim  of  America  is  to 
benefit  all  races  and  to  exploit  none.  Let  us  know 
and  understand  all  that  is  of  good  report  and  worthy 
of  our  investigation  in  these  neighbors  of  ours  and  let 
them  know  our  best,  that  each  may  become  better 
acquainted  with  the  other  to  the  mutual  advantage  of 
all. 

Deeds  earn  respect,  not  words,  and  there  is  plenty 
of  work  to  be  done.  Indeed,  Pacificism  spells  work 
now,  in  which  every  American  man,  woman,  and 
child  must  heartily  join.  Realize  that  the  leaders  of 
America  have  planned  far  ahead,  with  the  utmost 
foresight  and  wisdom,  looking  forward  to  make  prep¬ 
aration  for  the  future  of  America,  as  well  as  the  im- 


PACIFICISM 


167 


mediate  present.  We  may  well  be  proud  of  the  privi¬ 
lege  of  being  units  in  this  great  organized  American 
generation,  which  is  accomplishing  so  much,  and  re¬ 
dedicating  the  nation  to  the  highest  ideals  and  pur¬ 
poses  of  international  life.  There  is  no  blind  chance 
behind  every  move,  but  a  far-seeing  Providence 
shapes  our  ends,  rough  hewn  though  they  be.  Amer¬ 
ica  awakened  to  her  glorious  heritage  stands  at  the 
threshold  of  a  new  era.  We  must  fight  to  win  the 
crown,  we  must  struggle  and  toil  with  tenacity  of 
purpose  and  terrible  courage,  and  through  the  tribu¬ 
lations  of  war,  attain  the  victory  of  Peace.  Our 
sword  of  Defense  is  raised  in  a  righteous  cause  and 
our  shield  reflects  Truth;  and  the  ultimate  aim  in  all 
the  world  carnage  is  the  brotherhood  of  man  and  his 
resurrection  to  equality  and  fraternity,  so  that  nation 
shall  not  rise  up  against  nation  any  more. 

The  United  States  of  America  no  longer  stands 
alone;  and  among  nations  striving  for  common  ideals, 
as  with  individuals,  in  union  there  is  strength.  The 
good-will  which  necessarily  follows  an  alliance  of 
mutual  interest,  to  make  the  world  better  and  safer, 
we  must  preserve,  yet  the  favored  policy  of  keeping 
free  from  every  foreign  entanglement  is  the  road  of 
safety.  No  matter  how  great  in  physical  power  a 
nation  may  become,  nothing  can  be  gained  by  carry¬ 
ing  a  chip  on  the  shoulder,  but  rather  uphold  our 
reputation,  that  we  will  enter  no  conflict  except  in 
the  cause  of  defending  righteous  ideals  and  the  rights 
of  man.  This  union  of  nations  for  all  that  makes  for 
good,  will  endure,  and  entail  countless  blessings  upon 
the  peoples  of  earth.  Civilization  is  marching  on 


168 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


and  the  clouds  have  a  silver  living,  for  the  sun  of 
Hope  shines  behind  the  black  clouds  of  conflict.  The 
Flag  of  America  flies  over  a  united  and  organized 
people  to-day,  a  people  awakened  to  the  great  pur¬ 
pose  of  their  national  existence,  a  people  dedicated 
to  Liberty  and  Justice;  and  the  great  bleeding  heart 
of  humanity  listens  anew  to  reassuring  strains  of  its 
sweetest  music,  that  in  friendly  and  universal  equal¬ 
ity  and  freedom,  shall  be  granted  to  every  man  of 
every  land,  all  the  privileges  and  duties  of  Life, 
Liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  Happiness. 


the  statue  of  liberty 

IF  WE  look  for  the  most  prominent  emblem  of 
Democracy,  we  can  scarcely  fail  to  comment 
upon  the  Statue  of  Liberty  on  Bedloe’s  Island  in 
New  York  Harbor.  The  figure  measures  more  than 
one  hundred  and  fifty-one  feet  in  height  to  the  ex¬ 
tremity  of  the  torch,  which  is  three  hundred  and  five 
feet  and  eleven  inches  above  tide  level.  This  colossal 
bronze  work  of  art,  the  masterpiece  of  Frederic 
Bartholdi,  a  French  sculptor,  is  the  loftiest  statue  in 
the  world.  The  gift  was  made  by  the  French  people 
to  the  People  of  the  United  States,  to  commemorate 
the  One  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  American  Inde¬ 
pendence.  No  greater  individual  or  national  act  to 
further  the  cause  of  free  institutions,  is  recorded  in 
the  world’s  history,  than  this  noble  deed  of  the 
French  people.  Liberty  is  a  misused  word,  but 
as  the  Statute  of  Liberty  stands  for  the  French 
conception  of  right  Government,  as  stated  in  the 
phrase  Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fraternity,”  Liberty 
is  properly  expressed  as  the  guardian  of  the  welfare 
of  the  people,  rendering  to  all  justice  and  equal 
recognition  before  every  legal  tribunal.  The  Con¬ 
stitution  of  the  United  States  is  an  instrument 
defining  the  liberties  of  the  people  and  the  basic 
rules  of  government.  But  as  all  spring  alike  from 
the  established  freedom  of  the  sovereign  people, 

m 


170 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


both  are  actually  the  essential  components  of  the 
Liberty  of  America. 

It  is  a  mistake  to  think  of  things  as  they  ought  to 
be  and  idealize  Liberty.  Rather  think  in  terms  of 
things  as  they  are  and  as  they  have  been,  remember¬ 
ing  that  the  history  of  the  struggle  for  Liberty  is  a 
history  of  the  search  for  truth  by  living  human  beings. 
The  Truth  which  we  seek  is  relative  to  man  and  not 
an  ulterior  existence,  wherefore  idealistic  theories 
have  been  the  most  potent  forces  in  misleading  men, 
actually  turning  their  ways  divergent  from  the  paths 
of  the  truth  they  seek.  We  say  the  waves  of  the  ocean 
are  free  in  idealistic  poetry,  but  in  fact  we  find  their 
origin  and  every  move  explainable  under  immutable 
laws,  which  place  them  under  a  strict  control  and  obe¬ 
dience  to  the  highest  forces  of  nature.  We  reach  this 
conclusion  because  we  study  the  waves  of  the  sea  as  they 
are  and  as  they  have  been,  relative  to  natural  forces. 

In  political  life,  we  must  detach  simple  facts  from 
all  illusions,  delusions,  theories,  representations,  agi¬ 
tations,  eccentricities,  and  prejudices,  in  order  to  cor¬ 
rectly  give  a  decision  in  such  terms  that  our  good 
judgment  will  present  Liberty  as  the  great  protector 
of  all  that  is  vitally  of  value  to  man.  We  can  hardly 
disqualify  a  statesman  because  of  wealth  any  more 
than  because  of  poverty,  for  the  aim  of  Liberty  is  to 
protect  property  rights,  as  well  as  individual  rights, 
and  as  a  workman  is  worthy  of  his  hire,  every  expense, 
commensurate  with  the  highest  service  possible  to  be 
rendered,  should  be  provided  in  advance  for  every 
need.  But  there  is  a  certain  sense  in  which  every 
qualification  for  statesmanship  service,  just  as  for 


THE  STATUE  OF  LIBERTY  171 

business  leadership,  should  be  taken  into  account, 
to  have  business  men  to  represent  business  interests, 
and  learned  men  to  represent  the  people,  which 
learning  is  not  necessarily  merely  academic  in  char¬ 
acter.  The  most  valuable  learning  is  an  understand¬ 
ing  of  human  nature  and  a  knowledge  of  men.  There 
is  nothing  more  misleading  to  men  and  women  than 
the  so-called  romance  of  life,  the  false  impressions  of 
the  elegant  and  the  unreal.  From  the  effects  of 
romantic  education,  many  of  our  most  highly  edu¬ 
cated  people  never  recover,  because  their  minds  are 
so  impregnated  with  theories,  that  they  are  forever 
unable  to  view  men  and  women  as  human  beings. 
Poetry,  art,  and  philosophy  are  not  underestimated 
as  academic  studies  of  the  highest  value,  but  investi¬ 
gations  and  research  must  be  only  of  actual  facts,  from 
which  alone  dependable  conclusions  may  be  drawn. 
This  is  common  sense;  this  is  law;  and  this  is  the  true 
expression  of  Liberty. 

The  Liberty  of  a  people  does  not  depend  on  blood 
kinship  or  relationships  of  ideals,  but  exists  in  politi¬ 
cal  representation;  and  representation  excludes  dis¬ 
crimination  and  distrust.  England  is  English,  only 
in  name  or  in  symbolic  terms,  for  as  a  matter  of  fact 
the  British  Empire  includes  representatives  of  every 
race,  the  Gaelic  people  in  Ireland,  the  French  in 
Canada,  the  Dutch  in  South  Africa,  Egyptians,  East 
Indians,  Africans,  Asiatics,  and  Europeans,  all  united 
into  one  great  industrial  protectory  regime,  upon 
which  the  sun  never  sets,  bound  together  by  ties  of 
mutual  interest  for  beneficial  protection.  When  a 
German  business  house  opened  trade  in  a  far  off 


172 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


clime,  it  was  not  the  individual,  but  the  long  arm  of 
the  home  power  under  its  system  of  control  and  aid, 
so  that  privileges  of  organization  do  not  infringe  upon 
Liberty.  True  Liberty  emphasizes  the  satisfaction 
and  the  highest  perfection  of  all  men  everywhere.  It 
would  be  better  to  pay  doctors  for  keeping  all  the 
people  well,  for  the  present  service  puts  a  premium 
upon  sickness,  since  physicians  receive  no  pay  except 
as  people  become  sick.  To  study  the  personal  needs 
of  every  citizen,  to  preserve  his  health  and  usefulness 
to  society,  does  not  infringe  upon  liberty,  for  there  is 
no  liberty  to  destroy  but  to  conserve  service.  We 
speak  of  a  watch  as  out  of  order,  when  the  minutest 
wheel  needs  attention,  for  every  wheel  is  part  of  the 
machinery.  So  every  citizen  is  part  of  the  common¬ 
wealth,  and  when  mentally,  morally,  or  physically 
broken  or  deficient,  it  is  in  reality  the  commonwealth 
that  is  out  of  order.  It  may  not  be  easy  to  mend  the 
broken  wheel  or  to  solve  the  problem  of  the  disorderly 
citizen,  but  to  have  a  perfect  machine  the  facts  must 
be  faced,  and  practical  remedies  applied.  Theories 
are  of  no  more  value  to  the  state  than  to  the  watch, 
and  no  system  of  ideals  or  doctrines  will  cure  either. 

Common  sense  is  the  proper  judgment  of  the  rela¬ 
tion  of  facts,  dependant  upon  the  existence  of  facts 
as  they  are.  Simplicity  is  invariably  a  companion  of 
the  sensible  man,  who  deduces  the  effects  from  the 
cause,  and  discerns  where  correction  is  necessary  to 
remedy  every  trouble.  It  is  easy  to  find  fault,  to 
criticize,  to  explain  and  to  theorize,  but  practical 
common  sense,  combined  with  some  understanding 
of  the  situation  and  good  hard  work,  are  the  real 


THE  STATUE  OF  LIBERTY  173 

essentials  of  accomplishments,  and  none  of  these  are 
fundamentally  antagonistic  to  true  Liberty.  Govern¬ 
ments  incur  liabilities  and  difficulties,  just  as  in¬ 
dividuals,  by  attempting  too  much.  The  more 
governments  directly  concern  themselves  with  ideals, 
with  theories,  and  with  foreign  expansions,  the  more 
difficult  it  is  for  representative  statesmen  to  agree 
upon  expediency  and  necessity.  But  affairs  con¬ 
cerning  legislation,  taxation,  and  defensive  and  of¬ 
fensive  operations  and  relationships  are,  however, 
true  governmental  prerogatives,  for  rights  must  be 
guarded  and  powers  and  relationships  defined. 
Liberty  is  not  encroached  upon  by  representative 
government  seeking  to  educate  its  people,  provided 
the  aim  of  all  education  is  to  attain  a  true  and  proper 
conception  and  perception  of  all  facts  relating  to  the 
affairs  of  men,  and  to  offer  such  training  and  instruc¬ 
tion  as  will  tend  to  mould  the  life  of  the  recipient  to 
properly  perform  every  duty  of  life,  equally  as  an 
individual  and  as  a  member  of  the  state  or  nation. 

The  less  a  government  rules  by  force,  the  more 
successful  it  is  judged  to  be.  Although  all  govern¬ 
ment  in  the  final  analysis  must  rest  upon  force,  force 
is  a  sign  of  physical  unrest  and  an  antagonism  of 
Liberty.  Debates  upon  public  problems  are  good 
when  confined  to  the  instruction  derivable  from  a 
true  statement  of  circumstances,  but  when  debates 
are  based  upon  conclusions  and  dogmas,  popular 
discussion  may  increase  discontent.  It  is  by  disre¬ 
garding  eccentricities  and  sticking  to  facts,  that  we 
reach  advantageous  results.  Patience,  perseverence, 
and  straight-forward,  honest  purpose  to  do  and  be 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


1741 

right,  are  the  proper  qualifications  for  a  leader  of 
men,  and  all  these  essentials  make  for  true  liberty, 
as  a  derivative  of  the  representative  capacity. 

4 ‘Equality  and  Fraternity”  are  the  latter  terms  of 
the  French  expression  of  idealism.  Liberty,  as  many 
have  used  the  expression,  means  that  every  man  must 
look  out  for  himself  and  gain  his  personal  rights,  as 
the  English  Common  Law  implied,  in  the  expression 
“  Caveat  Emptor.”  But  Equality  and  Fraternity 
add  an  entirely  different  side  to  the  relationship  of  the 
individual  to  government  and  vice-versa,  which  the 
French  people  were  first  to  paraphrase.  The  safety 
of  the  community  from  injustice  to  individuals  is  far 
more  important  than  the  mere  individual  freedom  of 
action  of  any  individual,  no  matter  how  prominent  a 
place  he  may  hold.  The  measure  of  equality  and 
fraternity  to  every  citizen,  regardless  of  his  personal 
impressions  and  beliefs,  is  the  true  foundation  upon 
which  all  Liberty  must  rest  in  a  successful  Democ¬ 
racy.  It  is  not  possible  to  give  personal  attention  to 
every  complaint  and  idiosyncrasy  of  every  person 
who  wishes  to  be  heard,  but  it  is  possible  to  use  the 
strong  arm  of  government  as  a  power  to  render  to 
every  man  the  richest  opportunities  to  develop  his 
talents  in  a  republic.  We  can  never  plead  “Lib¬ 
erty”  as  a  pretence  for  non-enforcement  of  law.  We 
must  declare  that  the  essential  foundation  of  Liberty 
is  the  definition  of  all  rights  of  men  in  their  relation¬ 
ships  to  each  other,  that  all  mankind  shall  see  the 
necessity  of  Equality  in  all  dealings  before  the  Law, 
and  Fraternity  in  all  dealings  with  men. 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


rTjpHE  difference  between  organization  politics 
J  and  machinery  politics  is  about  as  broad  as 
that  between  monopolies  and  corporations. 
Corporations  are  organizations  for  business,  while 
monopolies  are  combinations  to  crush  competition 
and  to  profit  by  the  restraint  of  trade,  raising  the 
wholesale  and  retail  prices  of  commodities  by  con¬ 
trolling  the  distribution  of  produce.  But  we  say 
the  object  of  trade  is  to  make  profits  and  the  dividing 
line  cannot  be  justly  drawn.  That  is  true,  and  just 
as  we  place  restraints  upon  loans,  and  declare  the 
legal  rate  of  interest  is  a  fair  profit,  and  beyond  that 
all  is  usury,  the  way  to  restrain  profits  of  railroads 
and  corporations  is  by  a  law  restricting  dividends  to 
some  reasonable  legal  rate  to  the  stock  subscribers. 
Imagine  the  confusion  if  we  put  up  to  the  courts  every 
loan  to  declare  whether  or  not  it  was  reasonable. 
That  is  the  way  we  are  dealing  with  corporations. 
The  highest  plane  of  national  service  is  statesman¬ 
ship  in  every  nation,  and  our  most  talented  men  must 
come  forward  and  take  the  helm  of  state  as  an  honest 
vocation.  The  independent  voter  counts  to-day, 
and  the  time  when  popular  opinion  can  be  trodden 
under  foot  with  impunity  is  past.  Political  organiza¬ 
tion  is  a  necessary  force  coincident  with  political 
representation,  but  there  is  one  power  of  control 

175 


176 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


above  all  others,  and  that  is  the  Constitution  of  our 
republic,  the  bulwark  of  our  free  institutions.  Our 
Constitution  is  our  citadel  of  refuge  against  popular 
upheaval,  our  “Ark  of  the  Covenant”  to  divide  the 
waters  of  confusion.  The  purpose  of  law  is  to  ad¬ 
vance  and  increase  industry  and  commerce,  and  to 
keep  all  American  citizens  thrifty  and  industrious. 
We  must  never  abandon  America  to  policies  destruc¬ 
tive  of  industrial  efficiency,  and  we  are  not  yet  ready 
for,  nor  is  there  any  reason  for  considering,  govern¬ 
ment  ownership  of  all  interstate  business.  While  we 
may,  let  us  in  the  words  of  our  President:  “Estab¬ 
lish  justice,  not  only,  but  justice  with  a  heart  in  it, 
justice  with  a  pulse  in  it,  justice  with  sympathy  in  it.” 

It  was  a  wise  judge  who  declared  that  if  one  wishes 
to  discover  who  manipulates  a  blind  deal,  he  has 
only  to  trace  back  where  the  money  returns  lead: 
along  paths  of  golden  frenzied  finance,  to  the  de¬ 
signers  and  leaders  of  thought  and  action.  Not  that 
such  investigation  leads  to  criminals  and  criminal 
practice  by  any  means,  and  our  American  people  have 
trodden  far  too  far  the  ways  of  calling  every  man  a 
thief  and  a  grafter  who  seeks  public  office.  Every 
office-seeker  cannot  receive  a  job,  but  the  necessity 
is  apparent  of  keeping  the  waiting  line  industrious, 
yet  ready  at  any  vacancy  to  move  a  step  forward. 
Politicians  should  be  especially  educated  from  early 
youth  for  statesmanship  positions,  so  as  not  to  rob 
the  trades  of  leading  men,  for  even  our  naturalized 
citizens  are  deserting  profitable  avenues  of  business 
and  trade  for  chance  honors,  too  often  with  the  false 
idea  that  reports  of  fabulous  graft  are  true.  As  a 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


177 


matter  of  fact  our  wealthy  citizens  arose,  almost  with¬ 
out  exception,  from  avenues  of  industry  and  com¬ 
merce,  whereas  every  great  city  abounds  in  thousands 
of  hopelessly  stranded  petty  political  bosses,  who  will 
never  have  a  dollar  they  can  truly  call  their  own. 

Now  to  analyze  a  great  party  machine  is  like  an 
investigation  of  trade  unionism.  The  real  loyalty  is 
not  in  believing  what  the  party  is  reputed  to  stand 
for,  or  what  the  leaders  say  it  stands  for,  by  any 
means,  for  we  must  not  forget  we  are  dealing  with 
men,  in  terms  of  men,  managing  men  (and  in  suf¬ 
frage  states,  attempting  to  manage  women,  which  is  a 
very  difficult  proposition  and  only  remotely  possible 
under  present  conditions)  and  men  are  not  organized 
to  work  for  ideals  unless  these  ideals  coincide  with 
and  assist  in  the  development  and  success  of  political 
projects.  True  party  loyalty  then  is  not  primarily  to 
follow  party  schools  of  political  science,  but  for  the 
rank  and  file  to  blindly  follow  the  next  higher  political 
boss,  who  in  turn  follows  his  leader,  and  so  form  an 
organized  army  of  voters,  with  a  singleness  of  pur¬ 
pose,  organized  in  theory  for  ideals,  but  in  actual 
practice  for  the  advancement  of  the  members  of  the 
organization  in  turn,  or  to  special  appointments  as 
they  acquire  specific  qualifications,  to  render  them 
valuable  in  certain  offices.  We  Americans  have 
looked  at  stars  of  idealism  so  long,  through  telescopes 
of  imaginatory  patriotism,  that  we  have  lost  the 
intuitive  injective  that  the  world  and  all  its  intricate 
mazes  were  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the 
mazes.  The  political  machine  therefore  is  right  and 
proper  to  organize  men  for  the  welfare  of  men,  and 


178 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


not  merely  abstractly  work  for  ideals,  which  are  often 
illusionary,  impractical,  and  foolish,  no  matter  how 
pretty  they  appear  in  print,  when  glossed  over  by  the 
proper  golden  hue  of  literary  expression. 

I  do  not  wish  to  be  misunderstood,  lest  some  may 
say  I  mean  there  is  no  idealism  in  political  machinery, 
for  no  such  meaning  is  admitted  or  even  implied. 
Politics  is  idealism  in  practice,  and  we  have  only  to 
listen  to  the  politician  explaining  himself,  and  justify¬ 
ing  his  actions  to  his  friends,  to  appreciate  the  subtle 
weave  of  individual  consideration  with  public  welfare, 
and  his  self-abnegation  and  willingness  to  sacrifice 
everything  for  party  friends  and  principles,  and 
strongest  of  all,  to  notice  how  opposing  politicians 
will  invariably  agree  on  all  fundamental  principles, 
and  declare  themselves  and  their  followers  patriotic 
and  public  spirited,  and  endowed  with  the  same  lofty 
purposes  to  advance  public  welfare  as  their  oppo¬ 
nents,  only  in  a  more  violent  form.  Then  when  the 
election  is  over  they  retire  to  get  their  breath  and 
recuperate  strength  and  resources  for  the  next  cam¬ 
paign.  The  college  student  takes  a  textbook,  under¬ 
lines  most  everything  for  emphasis  and  then  sells  it 
at  half  price  to  his  successor,  who  in  turn  double 
underlines  everything  not  underlined  by  his  predeces¬ 
sor.  But  the  goods  and  the  arguments  do  not  change, 
only  the  emphasis  changes.  Politics  is  argued  the 
same  way,  only  those  not  familiar  with  organizations 
gain  the  impression  that  a  sort  of  Heaven  upon  earth 
proposition  is  a  possibility  when  dealing  with  finite 
men,  whereas  if  we  could  even  reach  an  earth  upon 
earth  proposition,  on  the  level,  and  keep  a  great 


MODERN  JUSTICE  179 

majority  of  our  citizens  contentedly  employed  at  fair 
living  wages,  we  could  well  brag  of  accomplishing 
something  worth  while.  Men  taunt  and  decry  the 
labor  unions  because  they  demand  a  square  living 
wage  for  every  member,  but  look  at  the  case  from  the 
standpoint  of  a  Union  Laborer.  Likewise  in  politics, 
look  at  things  with  the  eyes  of  a  politician  who  is 
nothing  first  and  last,  but  a  man  with  needs  of  a  man, 
with  a  family,  with  hopes,  fears,  and  expenses  to  pay, 
and  by  no  means  yet  an  ethereal  angel. 

Now  you  Americans  demanding  reforms,  asking 
home  rule,  seeking  freedom  of  thought,  speech,  and 
press,  breaking  every  confining  limit  of  life,  and  solv¬ 
ing  every  problem  in  rabid  haste,  stop,  look,  and 
listen.  Every  breach  of  practical  common  sense 
brings  heavy  penalties  of  endless  confusion  and  disas¬ 
ter,  and  experimental  politics  and  new  adjustments 
of  true  and  tried  machinery  is  a  perilous  program. 
Better  use  the  stable  brand  of  good  old-fashioned 
Republican  and  Democratic  Political  Machines, 
where  the  simplicity  of  detail  and  knowledge  of 
precedent  promises  slow  but  sure  success,  than  en¬ 
courage  brilliant  nightmares  of  philosophical  reform 
and  impossible  impracticabilities  and  complications. 
If  boiled  shirts  and  pressed  trousers  keep  our  Ameri¬ 
can  citizens  from  honest  toil,  it  is  time  we  taught  our 
children  to  crank  their  own  automobiles,  put  on  new 
tires,  and  raise  fruit,  vegetables,  and  chickens,  for 
Americans  are  practical  business  people  and  not  above 
good  old-fashioned  home  duties.  Don’t  tell  men  they 
are  slaves,  but  say  they  are  still  men  among  men,  and 
each  best  performs  his  duty  when  he  holds  down  a 


180 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


paying  job,  and  attends  to  only  such  economic  prob¬ 
lems  as  are  his  personal  concern.  The  party  ma¬ 
chine  is  a  necessary  instrument  of  citizenship,  for  how 
can  we  have  government  representation  except  as  we 
have  for  government  representatives,  the  leaders  of 
bodies  oi  men,  and  we  must  have  these  leaders  repre¬ 
sent  men,  and  not  simply  stand  for  abstract  theories. 

Now  let  us  consider  another  view  of  this  project: 
No  reasonable  judge  will  deny  men  the  right  of  com¬ 
bination  for  legal  purposes,  and  laws  which  seek  to 
make  water  run  uphill  are  destructive  and  pernicious 
and  can  never  accomplish  permanent  results.  In¬ 
dividual  cases  of  injustice  will  arise  from  every  gen¬ 
eral  law  and  institution,  but  if  the  final  cumulative 
result  is  justice,  we  must  hold  to  the  narrow  way, 
straight  as  a  line,  and  only  stop  to  palliate  the  un¬ 
fortunate  special  exceptions  whenever  and  wherever 
possible.  Free  contract  privileges  in  Wall  Street 
mean  a  few  notorious  losses,  we  admit,  but  here  is 
established  a  uniform  system  of  trade  quotations 
whose  world-wide  benefits  are  beyond  estimation, 
and  to-day  are  the  main  support  of  all  the  business  of 
the  world,  and  without  which  every  nation  would  be 
in  the  panic  of  bankruptcy  and  the  black  hopelessness 
of  industrial  confusion.  Too  often  loose  tongues  find 
a  too  easy  profit  in  arousing  a  suspicious  public  senti¬ 
ment  of  wrongful  injustice  and  misuse  of  public  posi¬ 
tions  and  information  for  profit  and  advantage  where 
none  exists.  But  yet  we  lay  the  foundations  for  such 
attacks  upon  business  by  laws  in  restraint  of  our 
constitutional  institution  of  freedom  to  contract  and 
be  bound  by  contract,  and  it  is  high  time  some  check 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


181 


was  devised  to  apply  to  every  legislative  body,  to 
carefully  consider  the  constitutionality  of  every  pro¬ 
posed  enactment.  We  cannot  afford  to  stop  the 
costly  machinery  of  government  for  every  grain  of 
gravel  that  gets  into  some  one’s  eye  until  he  again  sees 
clearly,  and  most  of  the  big  noise  arises  from  unwise 
and  unworthy  causes,  and  with  no  object  of  philan¬ 
thropy  or  public  improvement.  Every  business  is 
regulated  by  the  supply  and  demand,  both  in  relation 
to  employment  and  production,  and  all  these  things 
will  largely  seek  general  levels  if  not  held  back  by 
protective  legislation. 

What  we  must  guard  against,  in  the  restraint  of 
political  machines,  is  the  unnecessary  multiplication 
of  public  offices,  which  serve  as  waiting  rooms  for 
politicians,  who  have  missed  their  train,  perhaps,  but 
expect  to  take  the  next  express  to  Washington.  Yet 
we  may  too  harshly  judge  even  these,  for  often,  as  the 
smoke  curls  from  the  mellow  cigar,  great  thoughts  fill 
the  mind,  of  future  opportunities  for  useful  service, 
and  as  the  feet  are  elevated  high  upon  the  official 
desk,  the  active  blood  concentrates  its  power  in  the 
brain,  and  develops  the  round,  genial  face  and  lends 
the  sunny  smile  to  grace  many  a  banquet  hall,  and 
perhaps  spill  a  brilliant  toast  that  will  raise  the  smile 
of  an  emperor  and  gain  for  our  beloved  land  some 
invaluable  trade  treaty  or  successful  compromise. 
Let  us  not  then  judge  each  other  any  more,  but  de¬ 
clare  every  American  truly  endowed  with  warm 
patriotic  principles  burning  in  his  breast,  and  let  us 
unite,  each  in  his  own  political  machine,  or  inde¬ 
pendently,  whenever  necessity  or  choice  so  impels  and 


182 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


work  first  and  last  as  partners  in  this  grand  American 
business  commonwealth,  for  an  American  Nation, 
United  in  a  true  Unity  of  democratic  advancement 
and  profit  for  the  welfare  of  all. 

Successful  Government  is  established  when  honest, 
capable  men  are  elected  to  legislate  and  enforce 
sensible,  just  laws.  Where  capital  is  legally  invested, 
the  owners  of  patents,  promotions,  railroad  and 
steamship  lines,  factories,  and  business  houses  are 
entitled  to  continue  business  and  enjoy  the  profit  and 
income  from  their  inventions,  genius,  and  investment. 
Just  as  a  child  grows  tall  at  some  decrease  to  his 
lateral  strength  and  skill,  so  our  industries  thrive  and 
grow  by  speculation  and  promotion  at  some  tempo¬ 
rary  decrease  of  stability  and  system.  There  is  a 
popular  hallucination  that  legislation  can  correct 
every  evil,  and  reform  waves  roll  successively  over 
the  land,  demoralizing  business  and  filling  the  stat¬ 
ute  books  with  expensive,  irresponsible,  impractical 
legislation,  pleasing  to  some  few  individuals  and 
passed  to  catch  the  voters’  temporary  approval. 
Some  legislation  is  necessary  to  meet  our  expansion 
and  advancement,  inasmuch  as  no  code  of  law  can 
supply  in  advance  the  needs  of  every  economic 
change,  but  we  must  recognize  the  fact  that  legisla¬ 
tion  is  a  remedy,  which  must  be  used  with  discretion 
and  under  competent  advice. 

In  every  American  city  honest  citizens  hold  the 
balance  of  power  and  easily  control,  unless  their 
power  is  neutralized  or  diverted  by  some  unsuspected 
or  deceptive  device.  There  is  no  great  need  at  the 
present  day  for  the  people  to  be  concerned  in  framing 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


183 


a  new  constitution  and  new  systems  of  laws  to  further 
complicate  affairs.  The  reasoning  stay-at-home  voter 
cannot  understand  the  desire  or  need  of  new  laws, 
but  decides  that  such  proposed  legislation  is  harmless. 
Then  he  does  not  attend  his  primary,  and  behold 
when  the  great  glamor  and  call  to  arms  on  election 
day  rends  the  welkin,  he  sulkily  decides  that  the  men 
of  neither  party  are  particularly  desirable.  Thus  his 
reasonable  intelligence  and  astute  understanding 
creates  the  stay-at-home  voter.  Yet  at  that  very 
election  men  of  special  interests,  representative  men, 
politicians,  and  office  seekers  are  all  voted,  and  given 
the  power  to  spend  public  funds,  to  regulate  schools 
and  public  buildings,  to  collect  taxes  and  fill  the 
offices  of  State. 

New  legislation  is  not  the  important  issue,  but 
honest  rulers  is  what  counts.  The  welfare  of  the 
State  and  Nation  depends  upon  the  character,  the 
honesty  and  ability  of  Governors  and  office  holders. 
We  are  vigilant  in  choosing  good  clerks  and  household 
servants,  and  likewise  we  must  give  attention  to  ob¬ 
taining  trustworthy  and  faithful  rulers.  Then,  and 
only  then,  when  we  have  the  right  men  in  office,  will 
waste,  extravagance,  and  exploitation  cease.  There 
is  little  benefit  and  much  harm  from  such  legislation 
as  referendum  and  recall,  and  ballots  freely  open 
to  all  independents.  We  need  simplicity  in  poli¬ 
tics,  and  popular  reforms  are  urged  to  draw  the  atten¬ 
tion  of  the  people  from  the  primary  elections.  Short 
ballots  are  good  provided  good  men  are  on  the  bal¬ 
lots;  no  referendum  and  recall  is  necessary,  if  good, 
honest  rulers  are  chosen,  the  danger  being  that  the 


184 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


privilege  of  recall  may  be  not  used  by  tbe  upright 
citizen,  but  become  a  two-edged  sword  in  the  hands 
of  politicians  to  unseat  victorious  independents. 
Voting  is  the  primary  duty  of  citizens,  and  in  our 
government,  just  as  in  business  corporations,  we 
must  aim  for  efficiency  and  simplicity.  Over  half 
the  qualified  voters  never  or  seldom  vote  at  primary 
elections,  and  Americans  must  realize  their  civic 
responsibility  to  vote  at  every  caucus. 

It  is  a  long  story  to  explain  how  the  independent 
voter  is  discouraged  from  entering  the  ballot  booth. 
There  is  generally  a  law  that  no  one  can  vote,  at  a 
primary  election,  unless  he  voted  for  a  majority  of 
the  candidates  of  his  party  the  previous  year.  The 
independent  voter  does  not  wish  to  disclose  his  stand¬ 
ing,  so  many  independents  do  not  even  attempt  to 
vote.  When  the  timid,  nervous  applicant  appears 
and  perhaps  names  his  choice,  he  is  asked  to  make  an 
affidavit  or  statement,  and  the  independent  voter,  who 
voted  independently  the  previous  year,  thus  cannot 
vote  at  the  succeeding  primary,  but  becomes  dis¬ 
franchised.  But  many  say  such  condition  of  affairs 
is  right,  for  the  party  candidates  should  be  chosen 
by  the  machine.  However,  it  always  works  out  in 
favor  of  the  politicians,  for  both  Democratic  and 
Republican  machines  combine  against  the  independ¬ 
ents,  and  their  cause  is  lost. 

Political  machines  are  worried  to-day  as  never 
before  by  Woman  Suffrage,  which  has  thrown  a  large, 
uncontrollable  independent  vote  forward,  and  no 
forecast  was  possible  how  it  would  fall.  Also  the  in¬ 
dependent  voters  have  learned  the  lesson  to  unite 


MODERN  JUSTICE  185 

their  forces,  to  control  one  or  the  other  of  the  Na¬ 
tional  Parties,  which  plan  has  resulted  in  the  election 
of  many  high-class  men  to  office.  Already  to-day 
^very  state  is  largely  controlled  by  progressive  men, 
and  the  slump  in  machine  politics  is  very  apparent 
and  real.  The  necessity  which  must  next  be  met  is 
to  abandon  the  field  of  experimental  cumulative 
legislation  and  impractical  foolish  attempts  at  re¬ 
form.  Reform  in  the  sense  of  increasing  civic  right¬ 
eousness  is  always  to  be  commended,  but  reform  to 
satisfy  every  new  idea  soon  wears  out  the  patience  of 
the  public.  We  do  not  need  an  increase  of  law,  but  to 
simplify,  codify,  and  amplify  the  laws  we  have.  Pro¬ 
tect  business,  even  to  the  repeal  of  every  law  which 
interferes  with  simple  justice,  fair  dealings,  and  open 
markets.  Simple  justice  requires  that  we  render  to 
each  his  due  and  proclaim  all  men  of  equal  oppor¬ 
tunity  in  the  business  field.  Fair  play  for  every 
business  man  is  an  American  Doctrine,  and  the 
security  and  success  of  democratic  rule  depends  upon 
the  realization  by  all  the  people  of  the  voters’  obliga¬ 
tion  to  never  miss  an  opportunity  to  vote. 

The  Federal  Constitution  of  the  United  States  of 
America  is,  firstly,  a  rule  of  law  and  conduct  for  the 
national  government  and,  secondly,  a  bill  of  rights 
for  the  several  States,  leaving  the  States  to  exercise 
many  independent  powers  under  their  several  consti¬ 
tutions.  The  original  Senate  of  twenty-six  members 
met  behind  closed  doors  as  a  secret  national  council 
and  for  half  a  century  had  no  standing  committees 
and  did  not  realize  the  important  power  over  legisla¬ 
tion  conferred  by  permitting  them  to  propose  amend- 


186 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ments  to  bills  originating  in  the  House  of  Representa¬ 
tives.  Now  the  Senate  controls  legislation  by  amend¬ 
ments,  and  if  these  amendments  are  not  accepted  by 
the  House  the  joint  Senate  and  House  committees 
redraw  the  bill,  so  that  the  first  step  of  time  for  care¬ 
ful  deliberation  is  established.  Thus  important  laws 
cannot  be  rushed  through  without  careful  committee 
consideration. 

Now  it  is  a  question  whether  forcing  bills  through 
both  houses  hurriedly  under  compulsion  is  wise,  for 
such  action  is  manifestly  contrary  to  a  spirit  requiring 
forethought  and  investigation.  In  fact,  our  whole 
constitutional  system  is  founded  on  the  theory  of 
more  haste,  less  speed,  and  to  antagonize  action 
without  due  consideration  of  cause  and  effect.  No 
treaty  with  a  foreign  power  can  be  made  unless  rati¬ 
fied  by  a  full  two-thirds  vote  of  the  Senate,  while  the 
great  majority  of  the  bills  submitted  to  Congress 
are  prepared  in  the  various  committees,  which  pass 
on  the  form,  object,  and  proper  presentation.  The 
component  parts  of  the  Federal  Government  are  the 
Plouse,  each  member  being  appointed  for  two  years 
by  popular  election;  the  President,  chosen  for  a  term 
of  four  years,  and  the  Senate,  whose  members  serve 
for  a  term  of  six  years  and  finally  the  Supreme  Court 
Tribunal,  whose  members  hold  office  for  life.  In  or¬ 
der  to  make  an  important  new  law  operative  all  four 
of  these  powers  must  be  satisfied  that  the  law  is  both 
Constitutional  and  beneficial.  The  American  Re¬ 
public  is  essentially  a  business  democracy,  offering 
fabulous  returns  for  the  labor  of  energetic,  indepen¬ 
dent  workers  in  every  field  of  industry,  commerce, 


MODERN  JUSTICE  187 

and  agriculture.  The  question  of  State  rights  must 
be  recognized  to-day  in  accordance  with  the  true  in¬ 
tent  of  the  Constitution.  Every  State  has  the  Fed¬ 
eral  guarantee  of  the  non-interference  of  the  Federal 
Government  in  the  State  representation  in  the 
Senate,  and,  moreover,  the  Federal  Government  can 
make  no  law  against  the  freedom  of  assembly,  free 
press,  free  speech  and  religious  expression;  nor  can 
it  levy  taxes  on  exports,  nor  impose  military  rules 

and  regulations  against  the  sovereign  people  in  times 
of  peace. 

From  the  standpoint  of  true  democracy  it  seems 
as  if  the  freedom  of  labor  to  assemble,  to  control  its 
members,  and  receive  recognition,  is  as  much  a  Fed¬ 
eral  right  as  for  the  business  corporations  to  meet,  to 
discharge  employees,  and  to  have  their  desires  placed 
before  the  committees  of  legislation.  But  as  a  nation 
to-day  our  circumstances  differ  somewhat  from  the 
condition  of  the  original  thirteen  States.  We  must 
develop  commerce  with  other  lands,  or  else  retire 
within  our  own  borders,  and  we  must  decide  whether 
we  shall  cultivate  world  commerce  or  ply  our  trade 
with  the  republics  of  North  and  South  America. 
Moreover,  the  time  has  passed  when  we  have  un¬ 
limited  fields  and  plains  open  for  the  cultivation  of 
virgin  soil.  Our  emigrants  were  driven  farther  and 
farther  west,  in  the  good  old  days  of  unrestricted 
emigration,  but  now  great  bodies  of  foreign  popula¬ 
tions  congregate  in  our  cities,  forming  settlements 
similar  to  the  proletariat  of  ancient  Rome,  where 
American  ideals  and  customs  do  not  so  readily  pene¬ 
trate  the  masses.  The  population  thus  becoming 


188 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

more  settled,  the  need  of  uniform  laws  for  all  the 
States,  for  business,  corporations  and  labor  unions, 
for  marriage  and  divorce,  for  development  of  harbors, 
highways,  rivers,  water  power,  public  parks,  irriga¬ 
tion,  and  the  conservation  of  national  resources,  and 
for  the  control  of  transportation  industry  and  com¬ 
merce,  becomes  more  and  more  evident.  For  these 
reasons  the  nation  feels  the  need  of  Federal  control 
to  remove  all  possible  causes  of  friction  and  diversity 
of  opinion  among  the  citizenry  and  to  converge  a 
union  for  the  mutual  interest  of  all  the  people,  under 
the  new,  yet  old,  principles  of  Americanism. 

The  Function  of  Law  is  to  preserve  property  and 
individual  rights  and  privileges,  where  such  have  be¬ 
come  the  possessions  of  permanently  invested  capital. 
Our  Government  is  now  the  recognized  organ  of  a 
united  people,  binding  them  by  bonds  indissolvable 
and  immutable,  and  our  Unity  depends  upon  the 
equality  of  distribution  in  the  application  of  broaden¬ 
ing  law  and  the  restraint  of  restrictive  measures.  So 
there  can  be  no  individual  or  selective  interpretation 
of  constitutional  measures,  except  by  the  central 
empowered  body,  to  which  we  look  for  the  final  judg¬ 
ment,  which  must  likewise  be  based  upon  the  instru¬ 
ment  from  which  the  deciding  powers  are  derived. 
It  is  only  by  our  submission  to  high  and  trusted 
authorities  that  we  can  hope  to  escape  oppression 
and  injustice,  and  neither  can  we  leave  any  misunder¬ 
standing  or  controversy  unsettled,  nor  refuse  absolute 
submission  to  some  unchanging  code.  We  do  not 
want  one  law  for  wealth  and  another  for  poverty,  lest 
we  suffer  through  long  dreary  years  of  misgovernment 


i 

MODERN  JUSTICE  189 

and  injustice,  and  fail  to  maintain  the  equilibrium 
and  nicety  of  balance  of  the  machinery  of  government. 

International  standardization  has  become  the  key¬ 
note  of  efficiency  as  regards  aeroplanes  for  air  war¬ 
fare,  submarines  and  submarine  destroyers  for  ocean 
warfare,  and  batteries  of  armored  war  machines  for 
land  warfare,  all  of  which  have  combined  to  revolu¬ 
tionize  modern  operations  in  military  tactics  as  com¬ 
pletely  as  the  steel  armored  vessels  and  turreted 
monitors  revolutionized  naval  affairs  in  the  days  of 
our  Civil  War.  The  unprecedented  expansion  of 
credit  must,  for  a  generation  at  least,  keep  wages  up 
and  interest  rates  down.  Meanwhile,  this  great 
Democratic  nation  has  become  a  world  thinking 
people,  if  not  in  fact  actually  a  world  advising  and 
world  controlling  people,  with  malice  toward  none, 
to  solve  great  international  problems,  with  justice 
and  fair-play  for  all  nations,  races  and  peoples. 

4 ‘Virtue  alone  outbuilds  the  pyramids; 

Her  monuments  shall  last  when  Egypt’s  fall.” 

This  generation  of  American  Citizens  has  actually 
experienced  the  mobilization  of  the  business  experts 
of  America,  and  our  foremost  captains  of  industry 
now  stand,  with  all  their  boundless  wealth,  knowl¬ 
edge  and  genius,  backing  up  the  Government  of  the 
United  States,  a  condition  of  affairs  never  before 
paralleled  in  history.  The  various  advisory  councils 
and  leagues  for  national  defense  and  food  conserva¬ 
tion  have  enlisted  the  services  of  men  of  brains  and 
love  of  country,  forming  a  home  army,  uniting  the 
business  men  of  America  with  the  political  leaders  of 
the  nation,  and  ushering  in  such  an  era  of  good  feel- 


190 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ing  as  heretofore  has  never  been  known.  Never  be¬ 
fore  has  a  government  been  confronted  with  such 
problems  as  the  present  administration,  and  never 
in  the  history  of  the  world  have  problems  been  so 
wisely  handled,  without  precedents  available  from 
which  to  judge  results  and  effects.  Politicians  can 
only  estimate  the  courage  and  judgment  of  our 
present  day  leaders  in  terms  of  statesmanship,  com¬ 
bined  with  a  wonderful  degree  of  public  confidence, 
cooperation  and  patriotism  of  united  effort  and  sup¬ 
port,  and  we  view  this  union  of  states  doubly  united 
in  service  and  ideals  to  sacrifice  our  all  in  the  cause 
of  world  wide  humanitarianism  and  service,  to  silence 
prejudice,  remove  doubts  and  fears,  and  reason  out 
every  cause  and  effect,  in  order  to  preserve  this 
glorious  Union.  As  upon  our  Flag  there  is  a  place 
for  the  star  of  every  State,  and  not  one  of  them  shall 
be  lost  or  forgotten,  so  in  our  illustrious  common¬ 
wealth  is  a  place  for  every  citizen  where,  bravely  and 
zealously,  he  can  render  dutiful  service.  Here,  then, 
rests  every  dissension,  that  we  severally  maintain  our 
allegiance  to  our  Flag  and  the  Brotherhood  of  Man, 
inseparable,  and  united  forever  in  Liberty. 

No  class  of  business  men  stands  more  abuse,  often 
well  deserved,  than  the  practicing  attorney,  generally 
supposed  to  be  sort  of  a  combination  bulldog  and 
mental  combatant,  to  shield  the  criminal  from  his 
just  deserts  and  to  compel  the  performance  of  every 
obligation,  if  representing  the  obligee,  and  vice-versa, 
if  representing  the  obligor.  Seldom  are  fees  paid, 
unless  under  duress,  and  the  very  act  of  duress  brands 
the  attorney  as  unprofessional.  Now  in  the  great  up- 


MODERN  JUSTICE  191 

heaval  of  business  affairs,  just  as  every  other  non¬ 
productive  middleman,  agent,  broker,  and  politician 
is  being  ousted  from  profitable  deals,  the  average 
attorney  likewise  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  non-essen¬ 
tial  elements  of  business  life,  without  whom  the 
wheels  of  progress  can  be  more  easily  vibrated. 
True,  within  the  great  corporations  every  illustrious 
lawyer  finds  ready  employment,  for  with  his  wonder¬ 
ful  insight  into  human  nature  and  his  knowledge  of 
statutory  law  and  court  procedure  he  is  a  valuable 
guide  in  business  affairs.  Also  the  political  life  opens 
many  opportunities  if  the  attorney  can  qualify  as  a 
statesman  and  overcome  the  natural  prejudice  and 
distrust  of  the  popular  mind. 

But  in  the  regular  legal  field  of  general  practice  the 
competition  in  the  legal  profession  is  so  keen  that  the 
average  lawyer  finds  his  accumulated  fees  well  below 
the  required  living  wage.  The  small  courts  are 
generally  patronized  by  youngsters  who  are  trying  to 
win  spurs  of  fame,  and  having  no  family  or  office  ex¬ 
penses  can  faithfully  undertake  any  procedure  with 
little  or  no  compensation.  The  great  title  companies 
have  usurped  the  care  of  real  estate  purchases  and 
with  their  accumulated  information  can  handle  titles 
far  more  accurately  and  expeditiously.  The  old  prac¬ 
tice  of  despoiling  and  plundering  public  service  cor¬ 
porations  is  largely  done  away  with  by  the  safety 
devices,  while  the  practice  of  personal  injury  cases 
against  manufacturers  and  railroads  is  reduced  to  a 
minimum  by  the  employers5  liability  laws  in  effect  in 
practically  every  state,  which  settle  all  such  cases 
by  a  scale  of  compensation.  The  codification  of  laws 


192 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


makes  the  understanding  of  legal  problems  much 
more  simple,  and  the  laymen  in  his  factory  or  shop, 
by  a  little  careful  study,  can  know  more  than  his 
attorney.  Also,  every  newspaper  runs  a  legal  infor¬ 
mation  department,  where  advice  is  given  free.  Do 
the  young  men  plunging  into  the  legal  profession 
realize  the  strenuous  competition  and  the  present 
limitations?  Of  course  the  law  is  a  stepping  stone 
to  many  varieties  of  business  careers,  but  it  has 
always  been  known  as  a  long,  hard,  and  difficult  road 
to  success.  Business  life  to-day  furnishes  more  at¬ 
tractions  for  the  present  and  promises  more  stability 
for  the  future,  and  the  best  lawyers  find  their  most 
remunerative  employment  from  industrial  corpora¬ 
tions  and  firms  where  knowledge  of  laws  leads  to 
greater  business  efficiency. 

After  all  is  said  and  done,  we  are  only  men,  with 
warm  hearts,  with  minds  of  men  thinking  in  terms  of 
men.  Give  us  flattery,  and  all  the  good  things  of  life, 
plenty  of  food,  clothing,  and  shelter,  for  true  relaxation 
of  mind  comes  from  a  little  jollity  rather  than  from 
serious  criticism.  We  admire  those  men  and  women 
who  express  admiration  for  us,  and  costless  courtesy 
is  the  priceless  prerogative  we  define  as  tact.  Imag¬ 
ine  a  lover  confining  himself  to  facts,  or  a  preacher 
waging  relentless  war  upon  beauty  and  pleasure.  We 
live  a  killing  pace,  fighting  bravely,  through  the  luck 
and  pluck  scenes  of  life,  and  as  hope  after  hope  is 
dashed  to  oblivion,  we  live,  and  move,  and  have  our 
being,  and  discover  that  after  all  the  one  true,  uncom¬ 
promising  friend  is  the  evasive  almighty  dollar  whose 
comradeship  is  measured  out  to  us  so  sparingly  by  this 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


193 


covetous  world.  Take  a  little  laughter,  a  little  sor¬ 
row,  a  little  cheerfulness,  a  little  despair,  a  little  sun¬ 
shine,  a  little  gloom,  combined  with  eating,  sleeping, 
and  the  service  or  waste  of  the  precious  hours  of  life, 
and  there  you  have  it  all.  Eat,  drink,  and  be  merry, 
for  kindly  cheer  adds  many  a  year,  and  sometimes 
keeps  off  bilious  attacks.  It  don’t  do  to  take  life  too 
seriously,  for  friendship  is  built  upon  benefits  re¬ 
ceived  and  anticipated  kindness.  We  are  all  of  us  a 
little  bit  like  the  pussies,  with  humped-up  backs 
rubbing  on  all  the  soft  places.  We  purr  contentedly 
as  long  as  the  good  things  come  our  way. 

Each  human  life  is  a  garden  either  of  beautiful 
flowers  or  of  noxious  weeds.  We  may  define  the 
golden  rule  of  humanitarianism  as  “assisting  your 
brother  to  weed  out  the  garden  of  his  life  and  culti¬ 
vate  the  beautiful  flowers  of  virtue.”  In  every  sphere 
of  life,  civility  between  man  and  man  is  the  oil  of 
life’s  machinery.  The  test  of  culture  is  the  ability 
to  disguise  great  objectives  in  tactful  politeness  and 
generosity.  It  is  the  application  of  this  oil  of  society 
which  obligates  a  gentleman  to  speak  pleasantly  to  an 
enemy,  to  ignore  individual  peculiarities,  deformities, 
and  habits,  and  treat  motherhood  and  age  with  con¬ 
sideration  and  respect.  The  true  fire  of  a  genial 
heart  kindles  responsive  appreciation  in  every  inter¬ 
course  with  our  fellowmen,  smooths  over  the  rough 
places  of  life  and  brings  victory  from  defeat.  The  ele¬ 
mental  forces  of  purity,  progress,  and  devotion  to  race 
welfare  in  the  warm,  beating  hearts  of  men  neverperish 
and  respect  for  the  rights  of  others  is  always  respected. 

Humanitarianism  is  the  qualification  of  every  great 


194 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


man.  When  the  victorious  Union  Army  started  to 
salute  Grant  with  cannon  he  said:  “Not  so,  for  it 
will  wound  the  feelings  of  our  prisoners  who  have  be¬ 
come  our  countrymen  again.”  It  takes  a  great  loving 
heart  to  bind  the  wounds  of  bleeding  humanity. 
Argument  is  like  war;  you  can  win  a  debate  and  lose 
a  friend;  you  can  win  a  battle  and  leave  strife  ever¬ 
lasting;  you  can  wound  your  enemy  and  make  him 
your  enemy  forever.  Blessed  is  the  peacemaker  who 
can  make  smooth  the  rough  places  and  beautify 
rather  than  destroy.  No  amount  of  advice  can  take 
the  place  of  a  little  congenial  assistance,  and  no  criti¬ 
cism  or  planning  can  take  the  place  of  beneficial 
service.  ITumanitarianism  is  living  faith  in  living 
works,  to  accomplish  the  greatest  good  for  the  great¬ 
est  number,  and  to  willingly  sacrifice  self  in  the  ser¬ 
vice  of  others. 

The  greatest  study  of  mankind  is  man,  and  it  is 
difficult  to  think  of  a  topic  interesting  to  men  except 
as  it  is  also  related  to  the  study  of  man.  Divide  your 
friends  by  a  mental  picture  into  their  elements.  Here 
is  one  who  is  wise,  conceited,  philanthropic,  wasteful, 
and  sensitive;  another  is  harsh,  cruel,  niggardly, 
covetous,  and  wealthy;  another  is  kind,  lazy,  sympa^ 
thetic,  awkward,  and  poor  as  Job’s  turkey.  A  great 
man  feels  most  insecure  when  his  friends  praise  him, 
for  that  means  it  is  time  for  him  to  retire  and  wear 
the  laurel  forevermore.  But  when  men  are  silent  or 
filled  with  criticisms  and  advice,  he  can  be  sure  that 
although  they  don’t  know  what  he  will  do  next, 
people  expect  him  to  make  some  important  move. 
Our  strength  grows  as  our  indignation  flames  up  ovei 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


195 


the  insults  and  abuse  we  suffer;  we  are  forced  to  resort 
to  our  wits  to  study  our  guard  and  our  defense,  as 
well  as  our  advance  and  attack  upon  the  enemy. 
Every  evil  thing  we  conquer  is  more  than  merely  a 
victory,  it  is  new  experience  and  confidence  gained, 
and  the  strength  following  the  evil  turns  to  the  victor 
as  his  reward.  It  is  worth  while  to  store  up  knowl¬ 
edge,  for  no  law  can  place  a  tax  upon  it,  nor  can  any 
enemy  take  it  away,  and  like  the  tree  of  wealth,  it 
grows  and  increases  with  mature  years,  and  with  all 
and  through  all,  it  is  a  constant  source  of  strength 
and  happiness.  When  the  children  of  Israel  tried 
to  save  up  the  manna  food  in  the  wilderness  it  rapidly 
decayed  and  gave  no  comfort,  and  so  it  appears  with 
wealth  and  earthly  riches.  The  strong  man  is  too 
overbearing  to  please  society,  and  the  pretty  girl 
becomes  too  self-centred  for  true  love  and  admiration. 
Races  of  men  are  invigorated  by  cold  climates, 
while  hot  climates  of  ease  breed  fevers  and  degenera¬ 
tion.  Nothing  is  absolutely  new,  but  we  build  upon 
the  foundations  of  the  past  and  we  use  the  same  forces 
of  nature  as  have  always  existed  and  from  which  we 
cannot  subtract  and  to  which  we  can  add  nothing, 
for  there  is  no  true  destruction  either  of  force  or  of 
material.  Lives  of  service  carry  their  own  reward;  and 
also  crime  and  wrong-doing,  by  their  very  existence, 
brand  the  criminal,  just  as  surely  as  smoke  is  the  sign 
of  fire.  To  every  action  there  is  a  reaction,  so  that 
there  is  no  real  necessity  for  us  to  hasten  to  judge  our 
fellowmen,  and  we  can  afford  to  await  the  natural 
retribution  upon  the  criminal,  which  may  be  in  fact 
more  severe  than  the  punishment  devised  by  human 


196 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ingenuity.  The  life  of  man  is  so  short  that  the  world 
can  afford  to  await  the  death  of  evildoers,  if  the 
coming  generation  could  be  free  from  iniquity.  But 
it  is  too  often  that  strife  used  to  repress  strife  stirs 
up  and  breeds  strife,  whereas  peace  will  breed  peace 
and  confidence.  It  is  best  to  live  a  life  of  ease  and 
righteousness,  to  receive  and  enjoy  every  favor  and 
benefit,  to  give  freely  to  charity,  to  spend  and  be 
spent,  and  take  in  all  the  pleasure  we  may.  Men 
pay  dearly  for  selfishness,  for  frugality  that  amounts 
to  deprivation,  and  for  total  abstinence  from  adven¬ 
ture  and  hazard,  in  a  cramped,  narrow  life  secluded 
from  society  and  service.  For  how  can  any  man 
understand  other  men  unless  he  has  lived  their  life 
and  thought  their  thoughts.  It  is  easy  to  condemn 
any  person  if  we  do  not  hear  his  side  of  the  case,  but 
if  we  listen  with  understanding  heart  to  the  real 
story  of  men  with  whom  or  with  whose  ideals  we  may 
be  out  of  sympathy,  we  will  always  find  that  knowl¬ 
edge  and  true  information  will  bring  an  honest  en¬ 
chantment  as  we  find  ourselves  dealing  with  living 
lives  of  living  men.  Experienced  men  of  the  world 
know  that  those  who  criticize  most  would  gain  more 
information  by  investigating  conditions  and  studying 
causes  and  effects,  rather  than  condemning  unheard, 
for  the  wealthy  and  wise  should  be  the  first  to  study 
mankind  with  the  object  of  assistance  and  comfort 
to  the  needy.  The  dearest  bargain  we  can  buy  is  the 
cheap  or  unnecessary  purchase,  and  the  best  bargain 
is  that  which  best  satisfies  our  greatest  need,  so  after 
all  we  find  that  this  old  world  pays  dollar  for  dollar, 
and  we  get  out  of  life  about  as  much  as  we  put  into  it. 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


197 


It  is  enough  for  us  to  be  Americans,  for  whatever 
each  individual  can  produce  is  determined  by  his 
wisdom,  industry,  and  economy.  Internal  dissension 
is  always  more  dangerous  to  a  people  than  hostile 
invasion,  for  in  case  of  open  warfare  the  nation  is 
strung  to  the  highest  pitch  of  resistance,  the  armies 
and  navies  are  kept  at  full  efficiency,  and  individual 
ideals  are  sacrificed  to  public  protection.  There  is 
no  such  commensurate  power  of  resistance  to  internal 
factional  disputes,  where  public  opinion  and  continu¬ 
ous  appeals  to  patriotism  and  allegiance  are  the  safe¬ 
guards  to  preserve  national  strength  and  integrity. 

Men  feign  to  be  exceedingly  surprised  to  find  their 
illustrious  contemporaries  well  content  to  ride  any 
one’s  pony  if  perchance  they  may  now  and  then  be 
permitted  to  win  a  race.  But  unity  of  thought, 
ideals,  and  aims  was  never  more  necessary  than  to¬ 
day,  and  never  was  there  greater  necessity  that  the 
people  consider  fair  play  and  good-will  for  all  and 
toward  all  men.  Especially  are  attacks  against  cor¬ 
porations,  business  enterprises,  and  organizations  for 
public  welfare  fundamentally  wrong,  for  the  burden 
of  self-protection  of  business  men  in  America  is 
already  too  great,  and  in  order  to  have  trade  and 
prosperity  for  all,  we  must  have  unity  and  universal 
brotherhood  between  all  American  citizens  individu¬ 
ally,  and  between  all  nations  universally.  Judge 
every  corporation  by  its  deeds,  and  where  great  up¬ 
building  developments  are  being  pushed  forward  for 
the  public  benefit,  approve,  assist,  and  render  en¬ 
couragement  and  service.  The  difference  between 
savagery  and  civilization  is  that  savagery  is  built  on 


198 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


fear,  while  civilization  is  built  on  trust.  The  one 
develops  the  arts  of  warfare,  while  the  other  is  the 
progress  of  the  arts  of  peace,  that  is  the  growth  of 
trust  and  confidence,  of  each  man  in  his  fellowmen. 
As  at  London,  a  brass  rod  is  kept  to  be  the  un¬ 
changed,  unchanging  measure  of  a  yard  length,  so 
that  all  measures  throughout  the  world  may  be  made 
true  from  one  standard,  so  we  must  have  conformity 
of  our  laws  and  continually  measure  and  square  every 
contemplated  enactment  by  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States  and  court  decisions  thereon,  and  not 
by  contemporary  statutes,  else  we  will  deviate  from 
the  true  fundamental  ideas  of  our  republican  institu¬ 
tions.  To  increase  good-will,  the  essential  element 
is  to  keep  independent  the  individuality  of  the  in¬ 
dividuals,  yet  to  preserve  intact  the  unity  of  the 
whole,  so  as  to  continue  the  advancement  of  the  wel¬ 
fare  of  humanity.  The  future  of  this  republic  and  of 
every  other  nation  depends  on  the  principles  and  life 
of  organizations  of  men.  When  every  organization 
stands  finally  for  the  same  patriotic  principles,  then 
is  there  true  unity  as  an  accomplished  fact.  No 
organization  is  right  except  as  its  objects  and  prin¬ 
ciples  are  active  living  humanitarian  objectives,  for 
all  and  for  the  benefit  of  all,  but  for  these  right  prin¬ 
ciples,  even  after  unity  is  an  accomplished  fact,  there 
will  still  be  room  for  organizations  to  cultivate  and 
cherish  every  true  source  of  patriotic  thought  and 
purpose. 

Many  a  man  says  in  challenge  to  the  call  of  society 
to  efficiency :  “ I  never  had  a  chance,  ”  and  these  men 
often  believe  society  reduces  them  to  the  state  of  out- 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


199 


casts,  never  thinking  of  the  principle  of  blaming 
themselves  for  failure  or  degradation,  and  not  casting 
the  blame  where  it  does  not  belong.  The  survival  of 
the  fittest  is  a  necessary  social  law,  and  the  motto  of 
every  contestant  must  be  “Re  fit.  Be  Prepared.” 
Failure  and  lack  of  sympathy,  friendship,  and  op¬ 
portunity,  drive  men  to  crime,  and  society,  as  organ¬ 
ized  in  various  straits  of  national  life,  is  cold  to 
strangers,  as  self-preservation  demands.  But  a  new 
reform  is  sweeping  over  our  land,  a  reform  to  make 
all  citizens  individually  better  men  physically,  mor¬ 
ally,  and  mentally,  so  that  the  least  of  those  who  say 
they  never  had  a  chance  can  be  instructed  and  em¬ 
ployed,  but  never  lost  to  society.  Let  the  son  of  the 
leader  of  industry  work  at  the  forge,  and  his  daughter 
study  living  life  in  living  lives,  for  this  modem  ref¬ 
ormation  is  real,  it  is  here  in  our  midst,  it  will  make 
America  a  nation  of  giants  among  men,  yet  the  friend 
of  every  man,  regardless  of  race  or  creed. 

It  is  an  old  French  theory  that  a  nation  is  measured 
by  its  men,  produce,  and  goods  in  stock,  rather  than 
by  its  hoarded  gold,  for  we  can  live  on  produce  and 
goods  and  live  well.  Real  active  capital  to-day  is 
being  systematically  forced  to  pay  practically  the 
entire  taxation  to  run  the  government,  and  why  and 
what  is  this  condition  of  affairs  leading  to?  “Right 
about  face,”  Mr.  Leader;  call  it  out  sharp  and  strong 
before  we  are  brushed  aside  by  the  ruthless  competi¬ 
tion  of  Europe  and  Asia,  solidly  organized  in  common 
sense  phalanx  formation  to  drive  business  bargains 
in  every  corner  of  the  globe.  This  is  no  brainstorm 
warning,  but  a  clear,  clean-cut,  red-light  signal  ahead. 


200 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


Don’t  you  see  it?  This  is  vital  to  the  successful  fu¬ 
ture  of  our  beloved  nation,  and  what  would  we  not 
do  for  America?  Stop,  look,  and  listen,  ye  politi¬ 
cal  forces;  take  up  this  question  fearlessly,  and  even 
at  a  complete  sacrifice  of  every  personal  interest, 
unite  in  justice  to  our  merchants  and  manufacturers. 
Every  interest  coupon  to-day  cut  from  a  bond  must 
bear  a  large,  needless,  sealed  affidavit  to  collect  no 
tax;  every  large  estate  in  order  to  dispose  of  stock 
must  have  a  dispensation  from  practically  every  State 
in  the  Union,  and  every  corporation  must  file  an 
annual  report  of  all  the  secrets  of  business  activity. 
These  requirements  are  neither  just  nor  businesslike. 
Protect  the  workers  and  tax  the  drones.  Help  those 
who  help  themselves,  unravel  the  intricate  tangle  of 
threads  upon  threads  with  which  we  have  concen¬ 
trated  the  burden  of  taxation  wholly  upon  active 
capital  and  built  up  once  more  a  healthy  business 
atmosphere  in  these  United  States  of  America. 

All  the  world  stands  amazed  at  the  tremendous 
resisting  power  of  militarism  against  the  combined 
nations  of  Europe.  The  great  sacrifice  of  resources 
goes  on  with  hopeless  fury,  a  monument  to  the  folly 
of  Kings  and  Emperors.  If  that  same  energy  and 
wealth  now  wasted  in  the  great  war  had  been  syste¬ 
matically  applied  to  the  development  of  civilization 
among  Eastern  people,  the  world’s  progress  would 
have  been  advanced  a  thousand  years.  The  union 
of  Germany,  Turkey,  Austria,  and  the  minor  Eastern 
States  into  one  powerful  empire,  in  complete  control 
of  their  natural  lines  of  communication  with  Asia  and 
Africa,  could  have  controlled  absolutely  the  Eastern 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


201 


trade  and  united  two  thirds  of  the  world’s  population 
in  commercial  union.  Did  Italy  see  this  vision  when 
she  deserted  the  inland  nations  and  joined  the  En¬ 
tente  Allies,  the  commercial  combinations  of  the 
coast  nations  of  Europe?  If  they  succeed  in  the 
restraint  or  destruction  of  German  and  Mohammedan 
power  they  may  for  generations  control  the  great 
trade  demands  of  Asia  and  Africa. 

Commerce  follows  convenience  and  economy  so 
that  Europe  must  look  chiefly  toward  Eastern  coun¬ 
tries  for  its  future  markets.  Germany  found  herself 
a  tremendously  powerful,  thrifty,  energetic  people, 
hemmed  in  and  strangled  by  active  neighbors.  But 
why  did  she  not  see  the  great  possibilities  of  the  East? 
The  lust  for  power  and  the  blind,  haughty  spirit  of  the 
military  machine  sealed  the  fate  of  the  grand  Empire. 
War  is  folly  and  a  wise  man  will  count  the  cost  of 
conflict,  and  use  his  resources  for  construction  and  not 
for  destruction.  Why  upon  such  flimsy  pretexts 
sounded  the  martial  trumpet?  Perhaps  in  the  great 
universal  plan  of  world  history  there  is  the  part  of 
God’s  fool,  like  Napoleon,  to  bring  the  crushing  power 
of  retribution  upon  pride,  selfishness,  and  oppression. 
Let  us,  however,  not  judge  the  thought,  the  word,  or 
the  deed  of  any  man,  nor  hold  an  unkind  emotion 
against  any  person,  but  rather  let  us  simply  have  full 
confidence  that  the  ultimate  result  will  bring  its 
harvest  of  good  and  that  after  the  terrible  conflict  is 
over,  righteousness  will  roll  down  upon  the  nations  as 
a  mighty  stream. 

But  many  say  the  United  States  of  America  missed 
a  great  opportunity  when  Belgium  was  invaded,  for 


202 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


we  could  have  announced  a  causus  belli  and  Ger¬ 
many  would  never  have  dared  to  cross  the  border. 
Suppose  such  result  had  occurred ;  France  must  have 
fallen  before  the  powerful  military  machine  and  Rus¬ 
sia  also  would  have  been  an  easy  victim.  Such  suc¬ 
cesses  would  have  forced  Italy,  Greece,  Rumania, 
and  indeed  practically  all  Europe  into  subjection  to 
Germany.  But  the  spirit  of  militarism  was  un¬ 
righteous  and  the  principle  of  levying  tribute  upon 
many  defenseless  neutral  cities  inexcusable.  Now  we 
see  might  and  power  hemmed  in  and  destroyed  by 
their  own  lust,  as  new  Governments  of  the  people,  for 
the  people,  and  by  the  people  rear  themselves  upon 
the  ruins  of  monarchy. 

The  thought  of  universal  peace  has  now  passed 
from  the  theoretical  stage  of  dreamlore  to  the  practi¬ 
cal  consideration  of  the  cause  and  effect  of  war  and 
the  elements  of  peace.  The  foremost  cause  of  war  is 
always  the  military  machine.  Such  a  machine  arises 
from  the  cultivation  of  the  criminal,  base  instincts  of 
the  lower  natures  of  men  and  is  nourished  by  lust, 
greed,  and  a  disregard  of  all  humanitarian  principles 
and  all  rights  of  men  as  individual  men.  It  is  the 
idea  of  the  Greek  Phalanx  or  the  modern  steel  tank, 
crashing  over  fields  of  living  men  and  grinding  them 
all  to  dust.  Thus  the  spirit  of  war  levels  all  man¬ 
kind  and  bears  within  itself  the  seeds  of  its  own 
destruction.  The  second  element  of  war  is  military 
supplies,  including  all  weapons  of  warfare,  food,  shel¬ 
ter,  and  clothing  and  men,  animals,  and  machines, 
trained  in  all  manner  of  horrors  and  cruelties,  relent¬ 
less  of  destruction  and  wholesale  devastation,  death, 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


203 


and  ruin.  Education  and  culture  are  destructive  of 
the  spirit  of  war,  for  all  history  proves  that  only  de¬ 
generated  or  barbarian  nations  are  warriors  from 
choice  and  desire,  and  intense  civilization  breeds  the 
elements  of  peace. 

In  the  proposed  United  Council  of  Nations  to 
Enforce  Universal  Peace  the  first  article  will  declare 
principles  which  place  the  man  above  the  dollar  and 
place  a  premium  upon  human  life  and  culture.  The 
second  article  will  denounce  militarism  in  every  form 
and  provide  for  the  gradual  reduction  of  both  naval 
and  army  armaments  to  level  all  peoples  in  their 
ability  of  attack  and  defense,  for  it  is  an  elemental 
rule  that  men  will  not  fight  simply  to  tear  men  and 
women  limb  from  limb,  and  the  foremost  element  of 
warfare  is  cowardice.  Seldom  will  any  body  of  men 
attack,  except  either  under  most  desperate  circum¬ 
stances  or  when  the  heat  of  passion  overrules  judg¬ 
ment,  or  when  victory  and  plunder  seem  to  be  as¬ 
sured  to  them.  The  third  article  will  deprive  every 
nation  declaring  war  of  all  aid,  either  financial  or 
industrial,  after  such  declaration,  and  forbid  the  im¬ 
port  to  such  nation  of  foodstuff,  supplies,  arms,  and 
ammunition,  both  in  manufactured  form  and  also  in 
form  of  any  of  the  necessary  ingredients,  parts,  or 
elements,  for  no  power  to-day  is  sufficient  unto  itself 
as  to  trust  itself  to  warfare  with  world-wide  disap¬ 
probation.  The  fourth  article  will  reduce  any  nation 
declaring  war  to  a  state  of  ignominy,  unworthy  of  the 
confidence  and  intercourse  of  mankind  until  the  re¬ 
proach  of  evil  may  be  removed  by  a  jury  of  the 
powers  that  be.  • 


204 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


Here  is  an  opportunity  for  the  United  States  to 
again  hold  world  leadership  by  the  organization 
of  an  international  arbitration  college,  first  for 
North  America,  then  for  South  America,  then  for 
Asia,  Africa,  and  even  Europe.  The  fear  of  the 
effect  of  a  European  trade  war  will  be  the  first  elimi¬ 
nation.  We  cannot  now  get  tin  without  signing  a 
dozen  international  agreements  with  European  pow¬ 
ers,  but  if  both  the  Americas  insist  on  an  international 
square  deal  we  are  going  to  get  it.  Just  as  the 
United  States  is  the  greatest  storehouse  of  minerals, 
South  America  is  rapidly  becoming  the  world’s  ex¬ 
porter  of  raw  produce  material.  Indeed,  it  is  prob¬ 
able  that  such  a  united  action  of  North  and  South 
America  would  compel  all  nations  to  join  a  move¬ 
ment  for  universal  peace  immediately,  for  intense 
warfare  cannot  be  endured  unless  the  burden  of 
expense,  through  long  terms  of  credit,  is  laid  upon 
many  generations  yet  unborn. 

Patriotism  is  that  quality  of  an  American  which 
demands  justice  without  hatred,  and  emphasizes  the 
the  duty  of  self-sacrifice  for  our  native  land.  Insin¬ 
cere  oratory  lulls  to  sleep  the  stern  qualities  of  manli¬ 
ness,  shirking  duty  and  service.  Too  many  Ameri¬ 
cans  hold  themselves  too  good  to  work,  too  religious 
to  fight,  too  honest  to  tell  the  truth.  We  know  that 
it  is  one  thing  to  say  a  thing,  and  another  thing  to 
prove  it.  It  is  one  thing  to  believe  in  justice  and 
righteousness,  but  another  thing  to  stand  up  for  the 
right  and  fight  to  defend  principles  of  equity  and 
fair  play.  There  is  a  glory  of  peace,  and  there  is  a 
glory  of  war;  there  is  a  glory  of  argument  and  as- 


MODERN  JUSTICE 


205 


sistance,  and  a  glory  of  conquest  and  compulsion. 
Our  duty  is  not  merely  local,  to  secure  to  every  Amer¬ 
ican  equality  before  the  law,  and  fraternity  before  the 
world,  but  to  secure  and  preserve  international  equal¬ 
ity,  opportunity,  and  fraternity,  and  this  object  will 
be  best  accomplished  by  the  natural  growth  of  the 
forces  of  civilization.  We  are  dedicated  a  united 
people  to  the  cause  of  liberty  and  justice  to  all  the 
children  of  men,  and  stout  of  heart  and  pledged  to 
righteousness,  we  stand  firm,  in  the  face  of  the  wildest 
storms,  the  guardian  of  truth  and  freedom. 

Universal  military  training  will  give  to  us  as  a  na¬ 
tion  the  first  requisite  of  authority,  and  may  we  speak 

kind  words  to  the  down-trodden,  and  lend  assistance 

\ 

to  poor  and  needy  humanity.  How  can  we  employ 
our  great  wealth,  education,  and  culture,  better  than 
in  teaching  lessons  of  truth  and  uprightness  to  less- 
favored  lands,  and  spreading  the  doctrines  of  justice 
and  civilization,  which  in  time  of  trouble  will  always 
arise  and  call  us  friend  and  ally.  Did  France  lose 
the  moneys  and  lives  of  men  spent  to  aid  the  United 
States  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  or  has  the  friendship 
thereby  secured  been  a  bond  of  thousandfold  and 
eternal  value?  Fear  not  to  be  charitable,  to  forgive, 
to  assist  the  enemy  who  will  merit  and  accept  succor, 
to  raise  the  fallen,  and  extend  sympathy  and  as¬ 
sistance  to  the  weak.  We  hand  out  to  humanity  a 
stone,  when  we  demand  uncompromisingly  their  sub¬ 
jection  to  our  forms  of  authority,  but  we  are  all  one 
great  family  of  world  nations  to-day,  and  with  pa¬ 
tient  and  persevering  effort,  let  us  spread  the  demo¬ 
cratic  principle  of  fair  play  to  every  people,  that  in  all 


20G 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


business  dealings,  Americans  shall  have  the  reputa¬ 
tion  of  the  greatest  veracity,  uprightness,  and  im¬ 
partial  justice  among  nations. 

As  we  know  and  face  the  truth,  the  truth  will  make 
us  free  men  indeed.  But  if  we  fail  to  defend  our 
honor  and  our  civilization  against  aggression  at  all 
times  and  in  all  places,  we  degrade  our  highest  na¬ 
tional  duty.  We  must  first  know  the  truth,  and  then 
with  courage,  foresight,  and  self-sacrifice  stand  for 
the  right,  whatever  be  the  cost,  and  publish  to  the 
world  that  between  good  and  evil,  between  right  and 
wrong,  there  can  be  no  compromise,  but  right  must 
prevail.  Because  there  is  some  evil  in  every  man, 
shall  we  destroy  the  race;  because  there  is  evil  in 
every  nation,  shall  we  destroy  every  power  alike  for 
evil  and  for  good?  There  is  a  greater  question  here 
than  plunge  into  bloodshed  and  anarchy  at  every 
affront  and  insult,  and  actual  warfare  is  the  last  and 
least  effective  weapon  that  can  be  used.  German 
efficiency  stood  in  a  fair  way  to  encompass  the  earth, 
until  the  headstrong,  foolish  dynasty  departed  from 
the  ways  of  a  conquest  by  peace.  Was  not  this  a 
terrible  error,  leading  to  bloodshed  and  ruin,  to  strife 
and  confusion,  to  the  loss  of  all  earthly  possessions 
and  influence?  At  the  sound  of  the  martial  trumpet 
the  greatest  system  of  preparedness  the  world  has 
ever  known  entered  the  death  struggle,  because  they 
failed  to  realize  that  the  purpose  of  preparedness  is 
not  to  wage  war  but  to  preserve  peace  and  righteous¬ 
ness  among  the  nations.  The  eternal  years  of  all 
the  centuries  belong  to  omnipotent  truth,  and  duty 
calls  us  to  rather  be  patient  in  well  doing,  giving 


MODERN  JUSTICE  207 

protection  and  not  destruction  to  kindred  races  and 
peoples. 

We  entered  the  great  war  of  nations  and  threw 
e\ei^  ounce  of  our  power,  wealth,  and  fighting  force 
upon  the  altar  of  righteousness  and  civilization,  dese¬ 
crated  by  the  indescribable  horrors  of  the  fratricidal 
deadly  conflict,  because  international  law  and  every 
light  of  neutrals  was  not  merely  openly  but  boast- 
ingty  violated.  With  tenacity  of  purpose  and  our 
powei  of  endurance,  backed  by  unlimited  resources, 
the  laws  of  the  rights  of  liberty,  equality,  and  fra¬ 
ternity  of  man  are  being  grafted  upon  every  mainland 
and  isle,  so  that  through  countless  ages,  forces  of 
nationalism  will  never  again  revolt  against  the  pow¬ 
ers  of  universal  world- wide  democracy  and  humani- 
tananism.  By  enduring  sorrow  and  hardship  with 
courage  and  loyalty,  the  peace  of  nations  shall  be  an 
enduring  peace,  not  founded  upon  subjection  to 
armed  power,  but  admittedly  the  triumph  of  virtue 
and  lofty  ideals.  But  in  order  that  we  may  never 
again  fall  into  ways  of  emotional  philanthropy  and 
slothful  luxury  as  a  people,  America  must  train  her 
young  men  and  young  women  to  the  dangers  of 
inactivity  and  ease,  else  the  lessons  here  taught  will 
be  lost.  The  devil  always  finds  mischief  for  idle 
minds,  and  when  our  school  children  display  the 
latest  styles  at  the  football  game,  daintily  sip  after¬ 
noon  teas,  gossip,  and  argue  on  questions  of  ethereal 
consequence,  and  in  all  and  through  all  think  nothing, 
endure  nothing,  live  nothing,  and  do  nothing,  it  is 
time  we  started  a  revolution  of  ingenuity,  hard,  con¬ 
sistent  labor,  and  right  and  proper  living  at  the  source 


208 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


of  education.  We  can  defend  this  land,  not  because 
our  forefathers  fought  and  bled  in  freedom’s  cause, 
but  because  our  children  are  prepared  to  fight  wrong, 
rather  than  compromise  in  a  righteous  movement; 
and  our  Country  stands  for  international  purposes 
and  ideals,  the  ideals  of  supreme  international 
laws,  for  the  protection  of  life,  liberty,  and  pursuit 
of  happiness  to  every  people.  We  can  never  have 
peace  and  justice  at  home  if  anywhere  upon 
this  globe  righteousness  is  openly  and  wantonly 
violated,  and  we  need  not  fear  to  declare  our  stand 
positively  and  without  equivocation  for  world-wide 
justice. 

But  when  we  seek  truth,  we  do  not  find  it  in  na¬ 
tionalism,  creed,  race,  or  condition  of  men,  but 
solely  in  their  equality  of  opportunity,  to  choose  and 
determine  personal  selection  or  rejection  of  funda¬ 
mentals.  Fanaticism  is  a  frailty  of  civilization,  be¬ 
queathed  to  us  from  the  Dark  Ages,  avoidable  only  by 
intelligent  toleration.  All  men  correspond  in  thought, 
word,  and  deed,  the  only  divergencies  appearing  tem¬ 
porarily  and  locally,  because  of  conditions,  train¬ 
ing,  and  environment.  Men  are  measured  only  by 
what  they  have  endured,  suffered,  and  experienced, 
and  it  is  error  for  us  to  ever  judge  them  by  any  name 
they  bear,  but  measure  them  solely  by  their  char¬ 
acter,  conduct,  and  availability  for  valuable  service. 
As  all  nations  seek  a  common  universality,  so  all 
brotherhoods  of  men  seek  a  common  altar  of  world 
friendship,  that  civic  and  industrial  opportunities  be 
open  to  all  men,  for  the  best  preparedness  is  intense 
training  of  every  citizen  to  efficiency  and  skill  in 


MODERN  JUSTICE  209 

daily  toil,  that  there  be  no  warring  trenches  among 
men,  either  within  nations  or  international,  but  every 
wrongdoing,  fraud,  and  falsehood  be  abhorred  and 
obliterated  from  the  records  of  earth,  and  truth  be 
triumphant  over  all. 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 


IERICANS,  awake!  We  are  here,  free  born 


in  our  native  land.  But  liberty  is  not  license. 


and  preparation  for  defense  is  not  war.  Be 
prepared  to  defend  righteousness  and  justice.  We 
need  every  American  in  business  to  develop  and  build 
up  our  national  resources.  All  controversies  of  Amer¬ 
icans  with  Americans  must  cease,  and  we  must  stand 
together  to  win.  “  America  First,”  brothers.  Let  us 
renew  friendship  with  all  our  friends,  and  shake  hands 
with  all  our  foes,  and  swear  anew  allegiance  to  the 
flag  of  our  country,  to  keep  America  for  Americans. 

Emigrants,  who  come  to  America  to  found  homes, 
should  be  welcomed,  and  every  one  should  be  required 
to  declare  his  intention  to  become  an  American  citizen. 
American  labor  justly  demands  recognition  and  fair 
play  in  every  field  of  operation.  May  we  never  see 
laborers  brought  over  by  the  boatload  at  per  capita 
price  to  replace  our  workmen  in  factories  and  busi¬ 
ness  developments.  Wages  paid  American  laborers 
are  not  thrown  away,  for  the  money  only  returns  from 
the  manufacturers  and  producers  to  the  consumers, 
and  every  one  is  benefited,  and  the  country  enjoys 
true  prosperity. 

No  republic  can  survive  the  storms  of  indifference, 
greed,  and  pride,  except  there  be  rooted  in  the  hearts 
of  the  common  people  an  intense  patriotism  to  con- 


210 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  211 

stantly  renew  the  spirit  of  democracy.  It  is  the 
privilege  and  duty  of  every  American  citizen,  when¬ 
ever  and  wherever  the  need  arises,  to  stand  firm  and 
more  firmly  for  the  Constitution  and  the  Flag.  Our 
Constitution  guarantees  to  every  citizen  life,  liberty, 
and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  freedom  of  religion, 
society,  and  industry.  All  men  are  born  free  and 
equal.  This  is  a  country  of  opportunity.  It  is  the 
only  land  where  the  lowest  man  can  rise  to  the  highest 
position.  There  is  no  class  distinction.  These  ideals 
are  distinctly  American  and  must  be  carefully  guarded 
and  preserved.  Eternal  vigilance  is  the  price  of  liberty. 

Without  question  the  Bible  is  recognized  as  the 
basis  of  the  best  modern  morality.  If  there  be  truth 
in  The  Book,  as  without  exception  every  one  through¬ 
out  the  civilized  world  believes,  it  should  be  read  in 
our  public  schools,  where  the  ideals  of  future  genera¬ 
tions  are  moulded.  Our  watchword  is  the  protection 
and  extension  of  our  system  of  free  public  education, 
and  without  prejudice  or  bigotry  to  instill  in  the  mind 
of  every  American  youth  the  principles  of  American¬ 
ism.  The  public  school  is  truly  the  cornerstone  of 
the  Republic,  and  we  must  make  the  course  of  educa¬ 
tion  so  complete  that  no  American  child  can  afford 
to  miss  the  great  public  opportunity. 

Freedom  of  society,  and  of  the  individual,  neces¬ 
sitates  the  recognition  of  the  equality  of  every  citizen 
before  the  law  of  the  land.  When  the  so-called  honor 
system  for  examinations  was  introduced,  no  one  be¬ 
lieved  it  could  succeed.  But  the  success  was  instan¬ 
taneous  and  absolute.  There  is  honor  among  Ameri¬ 
cans.  We  do  not  need  policemen,  criminal  courts, 


212 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


judges,  jailors,  and  executioners  to  coerce  men,  but 
we  do  need  a  patriot’s  education  for  every  citizen. 
Give  every  man  liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity,  and 
none  except  degenerates  will  be  criminals.  Carefully 
educate,  train,  and  organize  the  citizenry,  and  there 
will  be  no  degenerates.  The  greatest  study  of  man¬ 
kind  is  man.  The  nation  would  be  better  off  without 
intriguing  lawyers  and  politicians,  and  in  their  place 
and  stead  have  justice  and  statesmen.  In  society  we 
recognize  the  necessity  of  leaders.  Industrial  sys¬ 
tems  must  be  devised  and  organizations  developed, 
for  organization  is  the  machinery  of  industry. 

Where  there  is  freedom  of  industry,  regulation  is 
automatic.  We  have  no  sympathy  for  the  man  who 
pushes  himself  forward  by  pushing  others  backward. 
There  is,  however,  too  much  antagonism  toward  in¬ 
dustrial  system.  It  is  not  fair  to  put  a  great  leader  on 
trial  because  he  achieves  success.  The  Government 
suits  against  directors  of  corporations  should  be 
frowned  upon,  unless  the  parties  accused  are  posi¬ 
tively  guilty  of  intentional  crime.  If  there  is  no 
intentional  crime,  injured  parties  should  be  held  to 
their  common-law  remedy.  To-day  there  are  too 
many  actions  that  savor  more  of  blackmail  than  jus¬ 
tice,  and  these  suits  are  a  public  nuisance.  The  great 
insurance  companies,  the  public  service  corporations, 
and  the  railroads  have  been  and  are  the  backbone 
and  sinews  of  our  progress.  Give  honor  where  honor 
is  due.  Judge  every  enterprise  by  this  standard. 
Grant  favor  to  every  man,  institution,  and  corpora¬ 
tion  which  develops  and  adds  to  the  wealth  of  the 
country.  Wealth  is  a  measure  of  reward  for  service, 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE!  213 

and  the  standard  of  the  value  of  a  man  is  the  service 
he  renders  to  others. 

Every  American  citizen  is  personally  interested  in 
every  question  of  national,  industrial,  or  political  im¬ 
portance.  Americanism  is  truly  a  matter  of  the  spirit 
and  of  the  soul.  The  lesson  is  not  easily  learned  by 
men  stmited  by  the  brutality  of  European  tyranny. 
We  must  strive  for  unity  and  similarity  of  ideals,  cus¬ 
toms,  and  beliefs,  and  not  encourage  immigration  to 
the  extent  where  we  cannot  mould  the  spirit  and  soul 
of  the  immigrant  to  American  ideals.  The  American 
workingman  is  the  highest  and  best  type  of  manhood 
in  the  world,  but  even  he  may  well  study  the  means 
of  social  welfare.  Is  not  the  pen,  after  all,  mightier 
than  the  sword?  Are  not  the  forces  of  construction 
and  development  better  than  those  of  destruction 
and  ruin?  Whatsoever  things  are  true,  whatsoever 
things  are  of  good  report,  think  on  these  things. 
Stand  steadfast,  with  the  courage  of  conviction,  the 
champions  of  liberty,  equality,  and  fraternity,  to 
protect  and  fight  for  every  true  ideal  of  Americanism. 

The  office  of  Religion  is  to  control  and  regulate  all 
peoples  and  Nations  by  the  Gospel  of  Good-will  of 
every  man  toward  all  his  fellowmen.  A  great  society 
can  arise  only  through  the  combination  of  great  con¬ 
stituents  into  a  homogeneous  body,  where  the  in¬ 
dividuality  of  each  is  curtailed  as  they  are  assigned 
to  the  work  best  adapted  to  the  individual  taste  and 
tendency.  About  four  hundred  months  of  active 
service  constitute  the  span  of  lifetime,  and  no  in¬ 
dividual,  no  combination  of  events,  and  no  facts  of 
history  can  mould  the  future,  but  for  a  few  short 


214 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


years  each  is  left  a  free  agent  to  choose  a  life  of  ser¬ 
vice,  and  to  create  a  symmetrical  and  beautiful  char¬ 
acter.  Avoid  the  fatal  and  prevailing  indifference 
toward  religious  expression,  which  in  the  broadest 
sense  declares  every  form  equally  acceptable,  salutary, 
and  worthy,  yet  recognizes  and  follows  no  discipline 
or  authority.  Rather  encourage  the  spirit  of  active 
co-operative  service,  with  distinctive  belief,  combined 
with  charity  toward  all,  for  there  can  be  no  real  an¬ 
tagonism  between  any  principles  of  religion  with  any 
government,  authority,  or  creed.  Neither  can  the 
natural  be  antagonistic  to  the  supernatural,  for  all  the 
great  virtues  of  truth,  honor,  courage,  loyalty,  liberty, 
patriotism,  obedience,  industry,  and  faith  are  the  nat¬ 
ural  elements  of  true  religion.  Therefore  no  revela¬ 
tion  of  science  or  invention,  and  no  course  of  educa¬ 
tion  or  research  can  result  otherwise  than  in  the  ascer¬ 
tainment  of  truth,  which  is  the  foundation  upon  which 
we  must  rear  our  temple  of  service. 

America  has  demonstrated  that  religion  can  thrive 
without  state  influence  in  an  atmosphere  of  personal 
freedom  of  the  individual,  where  the  members  of  all 
denominations  must  frequently  associate  together 
and  intimately  understand  each  other.  Formerly 
each  nation  used  the  religious  instincts  of  its  people 
to  consolidate  its  State  unity,  founding  the  Greek 
Church,  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  the  Reformed 
Church  of  Holland,  and  the  Episcopal  Church  of 
England,  but  in  our  land  of  liberty  the  melting  pot 
of  nations  has  also  proved  the  melting  pot  of  religions, 
where  all  differences  must  be  reconciled,  and  true 
universal  good-will  toward  all  men  reign  as  the  su- 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 


21 5 


preme  element  of  all  religion,  in  the  hearts  of  the 
people.  Therefore  all  controversies,  hatreds,  criti¬ 
cisms,  bigotry,  and  antagonisms  must  cease,  and  in 
place  of  these  cultivate  truth,  sympathy,  charity, 
and  liberality,  until  the  old  things  of  earth  pass  away, 
and  better  and  brighter  days  dawn  upon  the  world’s 
civilization. 

Those  who  say  war  is  impossible  do  not  give  due 
consideration  to  the  facts,  for  history  has  never  yet 
chronicled  a  nation  that  has  not  sooner  or  later  be¬ 
come  involved  in  some  life-and-death  struggle  for 
existence  or  for  the  maintenance  of  principles  of 
justice  and  righteousness.  Whenever  and  wherever 
populations  are  congested,  and  organized  systems 
of  industry  involved  in  difficulties  or  exposed  to 
destructive  competition,  the  temper  of  the  affected 
populace  becomes  so  strained  and  unreasonable  that 
any  minor  event,  backed  by  popular  prejudice,  will 
precipitate  warfare.  America  must  be  for  Americans, 
and  all  the  great  private  developments  of  our  na¬ 
tional  resources  must  be  mobilized  under  government 
direction,  with  the  constant  design  of  improving  the 
welfare  of  the  working  people.  Invested  capital  must 
recognize  that  all  laborers  are  entitled  to  living  wages, 
and  that  people  who  are  not  robbed  do  not  revolt  or 
foment  strikes  or  arm  for  self-defense.  The  recogni¬ 
tion  of  organized  labor  is  not  frightful  to  contemplate, 
for  the  American  workingman  is  also  the  ultimate 
consumer.  Likewise,  government  regulation  of  prices 
and  rates  of  transportation  may  not  be  destructive  of 
justice,  for  the  rights  of  all  must  be  respected.  As  it 
is  a  sign  of  moral  and  religious  deterioration  wdien  all 


216 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  speaking,  thinking,  preaching,  and  praying  is  done 
by  hired  servants,  so  it  is  a  sign  of  national  weak¬ 
ness  when  foreign  imported  labor  tills  the  soil,  builds 
canals  and  roads,  and  supplies  toilers  for  the  mills 
and  factories.  That  nation  has  the  greatest  sources 
of  strength  where  all  citizens  are  self-supporting,  ac¬ 
tive,  progressive  members  under  organized  leader¬ 
ship. 

No  part  of  the  proposed  propaganda  for  prepared¬ 
ness  is  more  important  than  the  transportation 
and  commercial  service.  The  principles  of  protective 
tariff  have  built  up  our  manufacturing  independence, 
and  the  subsidizing  of  trade  vessels  is  only  a  form  of 
beneficial  protective  tariff  applied  to  the  merchant 
marine.  History  shows  that  the  best  navies  of  the 
world  have  always  been  built  up  through  channels 
of  commercial  activity,  and  this  branch  of  the  devel¬ 
opment  can  be  made  a  veritable  gold  mine  in  every 
market  of  the  world.  Let  our  ambassadors  renew 
and  improve  commercial  treaties,  and  make  way  for 
the  vice-consuls,  sales  representatives,  and  trained 
export  agents.  Trade  follows  the  business  credit, 
the  accommodating  banking  facilities,  and  the  subsi¬ 
dized  fleet,  and  tangible  business  credit  is  already  a 
reality  in  every  nation,  for  the  old  things  have  passed 
away,  and  new  nations  are  assuming  the  role  of 
leadership  and  expansion.  Every  American  these 
days  should  economize  in  living  expenses,  cultivate 
industry,  and  increase  business  competency,  so  as 
to  take  advantage,  as  far  as  possible,  of  every  oppor¬ 
tunity  at  hand,  for  our  Nation  is  now  the  recognized 
champion  of  Democracy  as  against  Autocracy  and 


217 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

Militarism,  to  uphold  law  and  order  against  consci¬ 
enceless  Ambition. 

No  foreign  army  could  land  upon  our  shores  unless 
our  navy  was  first  destroyed,  and  if  the  destruction  of 
the  navy  were  accomplished,  it  is  doubtful  whether 
tens  of  millions  of  armed  soldiery  could  prevent 
foreign  invasion.  In  any  event,  the  greatest  devasta¬ 
tion  would  occur  at  the  sea  coast  cities,  for  no  invad¬ 
ing  army  could  conquer  the  interior  states,  nor  hold 
any  state  in  subjection,  as  has  been  proved  by  the 
defeat  or  capture  of  every  army  that  has  ever  been 
transported  to  our  shores.  We  must  at  once  effec¬ 
tively  bring  about  complete  efficiency  in  our  navy, 
which  could  best  be  accomplished  under  the  direction 
of  an  expert  naval  defense  commission  to  be  con¬ 
tinued  as  a  non-political  council,  with  its  own  budget 
system  and  staff  organization.  As  a  peace-loving 
nation  we  deplore  war,  but  at  the  same  time  we 
must  recognize  the  possibility  of  war  and  be  prepared. 
We  must  have  such  a  quality  of  peace  as  will  keep 
open  every  highway  of  opportunity  to  develop  our 
national  resources  and  industries.  Our  hopes  of 
righting  the  wrongs  of  men  are  symbolized  by  the 
feelings  of  reverence  that  stir  the  breast  as  we  honor 
the  Star-Spangled  Banner,  and  ever  we  must  realize 
that  the  principles  for  which  our  flag  stands  must  be 
animated  by  power  to  enforce  right  and  to  defend 
against  wrong,  until  every  nation  shall  be  free  from 
the  curse  and  burden  of  militarism  and  become  de¬ 
voted  solely  to  the  arts  of  peace. 

Other  nations  have  been  rent  time  and  again  by 
race  prejudice,  religious  intolerance,  and  political 


218 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


uprisings.  The  future  of  the  United  States  of  Amer¬ 
ica  depends  on  the  avoidance  of  each  of  these  dangers. 
The  three  great  safeguards  are  the  Public  Schools, 
the  Bible,  and  the  Flag. 

The  public  schools  have  the  function  of  uniting 
peoples  of  every  race  into  one  democratic  nation. 
This  is  a  big  proposition  and  not  the  work  of  a  day 
but  of  generations.  The  public  schools  should  be 
guarded  from  every  objectionable  influence.  That 
means  every  influence  that  any  class  of  citizens  can 
object  to,  and  every  child  should  be  compelled  to 
attend  the  public  schools.  There  is  great  need  to 
make  the  schools  more  practical,  and  teach  every 
child  some  trade  by  which  it  may  be  possible  to  gain  a 
living.  Self-supporting  ability  for  every  citizen  is 
the  greatest  asset  of  a  nation.  The  hope  of  true 
democracy  is  to  amalgamate  all  races  and  peoples. 
A  prominent  Jewish  leader  declared  that  the  Jews 
sent  their  children  to  the  public  schools  to  make 
them  better  Americans  and  any  religious  training 
desired  by  the  parents  was  given  in  classes  held 
evenings  or  out  of  school  hours.  That  is  the  proper 
spirit,  and  no  race  values  more  highly  the  principles 
of  the  American  Constitution  than  the  Jewish  people. 
The  public  schools  should  also  teach  patriotism  and 
the  rudiments  of  government  and  the  principles  of 
the  Constitution.  It  is  a  great  work,  and  our  public 
schools  promise  a  United  America. 

The  Open  Bible  is  more  important  than  the  ma¬ 
jority  of  citizens  are  willing  to  admit.  There  is  noth¬ 
ing  in  this  book  opposed  to  republicanism.  Sup¬ 
pression  of  opinion,  whether  political,  religious,  or 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  219 

otherwise,  is  not  only  contrary  to  the  National  Con¬ 
stitution  but  is  positively  dangerous.  People  are  not 
fools,  and  if  the  facts  are  brought  to  their  attention, 
they  will  immediately  recognize  the  truth  and  banish 
falsehood.  But  if  the  facts  are  hidden  or  suppressed, 
feelings  of  bigotry  and  prejudice  will  appear,  and 
truth  will  be  trampled  upon  by  envy,  greed,  and 
falsehood.  We  need  not  fear  to  trust  to  popular 
intuition;  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  will  make  you 
free.  Sectarianism  is  and  always  has  been  one  of  the 
bitterest  and  most  successful  enemies  of  democracy. 
Can  America  avoid  this  pitfall?  The  Open  Bible  is 
the  only  hope,  and  never  in  the  history  of  the  world 
has  the  Bible  been  such  an  open  book  as  it  is  to-day. 
It  seems  possible  with  free  public  schools  and  an 
Open  Bible  that  religious  leaders  may  discover  and 
sometime  agree  that  all  aim  to  attain  the  same  goal, 
and  there  is  no  true  reason  for  sectarian  antagonism. 

Not  the  least  important  of  the  great  safeguards 
is  the  national  emblem.  The  flag  of  our  country 
must  wave  over  a  united  people.  “America  First” 
must  be  the  watchword  of  every  American.  Honor 
to  the  flag  is  due  from  every  citizen  on  every  possible 
occasion.  The  Stars  and  Stripes  stand  for  liberty 
of  action,  thought,  and  conscience,  for  a  living  wage 
and  opportunity  to  every  man,  and  for  fraternity  and 
brotherhood  of  every  man  to  every  fellowman.  When 
the  band  plays  the  national  hymn,  be  the  first  to  rise. 
Let  us  all  renew  our  allegiance  to  the  flag,  and  safe¬ 
guard  the  strength  of  the  nation  with  purity  and 
righteousness,  ready  to  defend  our  own  liberty,  and 
generous  to  demand  freedom  of  the  person  and  of  the 


220 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


mind  for  every  individual,  of  every  race,  of  every 
people.  Our  flag  is  the  emblem  of  personal  liberty, 
and  as  we  reverence  the  principles  of  freedom,  and  as 
we  do  good  to  our  fellowmen,  we  honor  the  flag  of 
our  country. 

A  certain  old  maid  wrote  upon  her  page  of  life,  “A 
bachelor  is  a  crank.”  “That  a  woman  cannot  turn,” 
added  the  bachelor.  There  could  be  no  better  illus¬ 
tration  of  the  shortsightedness  of  many  reformers 
who  demand  the  elements  of  liberty  without  order, 
or  the  elements  of  order  without  liberty.  Unselfish, 
individual  good-will  between  every  man.  and  his 
neighbor  is  the  crying  necessity  of  this  age. 

Eliminate  the  injustice  that  arises  from  statutory 
law,  undiluted  with  common  sense,  mercy,  and  reason. 
To-day  our  public  prosecutors  attack  an  accused  per¬ 
son  for  the  glory  of  conviction,  and  the  presumed 
criminal  believes  the  minions  of  the  law  his  mortal 
enemies.  The  old  Chancery  Court  of  England  was 
supposed  to  have  the  power  to  overstep  statutory 
law  and  do  justice,  but  we  have  no  longer  any  protec¬ 
tion  of  this  nature  except  where  conscientious  judges 
allow  themselves  to  be  ruled  by  considerations  of 
probable  cause  and  effect,  and  of  the  greatest  good 
to  the  greatest  number,  and  other  great  fundamental 
principles  of  the  common  law  of  the  land,  wdiich  are 
often  buried  under  piles  of  statutory  enactments  and 
worthless  local  decisions,  which  lawyers  and  barris¬ 
ters  are  able  to  use  with  equal  applicability  on  either 
side  of  any  legal  question  that  may  arise.  The  cry 
of  “back  to  the  land”  for  the  people  is  not  absurd, 
because  all  must  live  natural  lives  according  to  specie 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE!  221 

fic  rules  and  regulations  of  nature.  Also,  it  is  not 
absurd  to  call  the  people  back  to  common  sense, 
good-will  toward  all,  humility  and  charity,  that  the 
old  fundamental  features  of  the  common  law  of  the 
land  be  emphasized  and  taught  to  the  nation;  that 
prosperity  and  peace  may  abound,  and  the  objects 
of  law  shown  to  be  to  increase  the  personal  efficiency 
of  every  citizen  and  never  to  destroy  achievements, 
to  ruin  character,  or  to  curtail  industrial  progress. 
Just  as  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  vandal,  with 
the  slash  of  a  knife,  can  destroy  a  painting  impossible 
of  reproduction,  and  just  as  a  great  war  can  in  a  few 
years  destroy  the  work  of  centuries,  so  the  demands 
for  liberty  without  order,  or  for  order  without 
liberty,  are  equally  destructive  of  enduring  justice, 
for  we  need  service  tempered  with  charity  toward  all. 

Peace  has  its  perils  more  than  war.  Selfishness 
and  the  fear  of  arousing  antagonism,  by  refusing  to 
support  controlled  organized  voting  power,  is  the  peril 
of  democracy.  Let  the  people  rule  in  liberty,  but 
keep  liberty  within  rules  of  order.  The  school  chil¬ 
dren  of  to-day  are  the  hope  of  our  future  national 
existence,  and  no  nation  divided  against  itself  can 
stand.  Every  leader  who  sees  these  menaces  to  our 
home  life,  to  our  industrial  life,  and  to  our  national 
life,  and  refuses  to  strive  to  arouse  public  opinion  to 
strike  down  such  evils  is  a  traitor  to  his  country. 
The  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  should  be 
brought  into  closer  contact  with  every  state,  and  its 
decisions  used  as  common  law,  with  equitable  and 
charitable  interpretation,  to  produce  a  much-needed 
general  system  of  laws  for  interstate  conduct  and  for 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


222 

the  organization  of  business  relationship,  so  that  petty 
jealousies  and  local  antagonisms  may  not  entirely 
blot  out  the  foundations  of  our  republican  institutions. 

There  is  no  double  standard  of  morality,  but,  by 
systematic  education,  the  sting  of  demoralizing  influ¬ 
ences  can  be  drawn  and  tendencies  of  the  citizenry 
toward  luxury,  waste,  imprudence,  sensationalism, 
idleness,  and  unnatural  tastes  and  relationships  can 
be  changed  to  a  regard  for  impartial  justice  and 
charitable  good-will. 

Immorality  as  well  as  crime  depends  upon  the 
intention  and  mental  attitude  of  the  general  public  or 
of  the  subject,  so  that  what  is  in  reality  most  beauti¬ 
ful  and  pure  may  be  subverted  to  most  demoralizing 
and  debasing  purposes.  But  to  a  pure  mind  all  is 
pure,  just  as  to  a  debased  mind  all  is  impure,  which 
proves  conclusively  the  value  of  symmetrical  uni¬ 
versal  education  for  the  active  employment  of  every 
man  and  woman  in  some  congenial  and  elevating 
sphere  of  activity. 

It  is  error  to  oppose  popular  opinion  by  statutory 
laws,  which  for  that  very  reason  are  unenforceable 
and  pernicious.  Judges  are  confused  and  criminals 
escape  the  law  and  lawyers  win  most  surprising 
verdicts,  because  statutory  laws  oppose  public  opin¬ 
ion  or  vice  versa,  which  proves  that  the  aim  and 
purpose  of  all  law  should  be  to  educate  and  train  the 
public  opinion  of  our  citizenry  toward  industry,  thrift, 
and  an  understanding  of  the  fundamental  necessities 
of  right  and  natural  living.  All  that  is  more  than 
this  is  confusion,  menacing  the  community  with  hu¬ 
miliating  restrictions  against  much-needed  scientific 


223 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

and  medical  instruction,  to  mould  mankind  into 
more  complete  harmony  with  the  laws  of  nature  and 
of  justice.  Our  Constitution  guarantees  to  us  the 
right  of  freedom  both  of  opinion  and  of  the  expres¬ 
sion  of  opinion,  which  is  liberty,  but  because  of  the 
separation  of  liberty  from  order  by  our  leaders  we, 
to-day,  are  face  to  face  with  most  unwarrantable  in¬ 
vasions  of  our  civil  liberty,  which,  as  a  free  people, 
we  can  never  permit  or  suffer  to  become  incorporated 
into  our  Constitution.  Let  us  then  go  back  to  the 
common  law,  and  back  to  the  true  fundamental 
principles  of  order  and  rebuild  our  temple  of  liberty 
upon  these  fundamental  precepts  and  reconstruct 
our  rules  of  conduct  upon  the  foundations  of  equality 
and  fraternity. 

In  these  days  of  the  evolution  of  progress  we  are 
rapidly  tearing  down  and  abolishing  antiquated  laws 
and  usages,  to  install  republican  institutions,  and 
to  safeguard  popular  rights.  We  are  destroying  in¬ 
tolerance,  servitude,  greed,  and  lust  for  gold,  working 
solely  for  the  unity  and  well-being  of  the  common 
people.  Men  of  worth  and  men  of  action  are  coming 
forward  in  a  great  conflict,  far  more  important  than 
battles  of  nations  where  the  object  is  to  destroy 
human  life  and  production,  for  in  this  conflict  the 
struggle  is  for  the  upbuilding  of  character,  for  the 
increase  of  opportunity,  and  for  the  preservation  of 
the  race. 

Great  men  do  not  seek  popular  applause,  for  the 
hours  of  service  are  too  few,  and  reason  must  check 
the  illusions  of  position  and  power,  when  our  country 
calls  to  manly  service.  The  foundations  of  our  repub- 


224 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


lican  institutions  must  be  preserved,  we  must  care¬ 
fully  entrench  every  gain,  and  secure  ourselves  from 
every  form  of  surprise  and  reaction. 

We  see  to-day  new  men  arising  in  power,  piling  up 
uncounted  millions,  deriving  profit  from  the  panic  of 
the  people  and  the  waste  of  foreign  lands.  The  press 
of  the  nation  fears  to  act  or  to  express  any  opinion 
until  some  certain  ray  of  light  and  knowledge  pierces 
the  clouds  of  confusion.  But  every  problem  proposed 
must  be  solved.  Our  Government  must  hold  the 
respect  of  every  citizen,  and  we  must  find  for  leaders 
men  of  knowledge  and  love  of  liberty  and  order, 
disinterested  in  personal  profit,  yet  able  to  administer 
justice  and  to  organize  the  contending  forces  of  in¬ 
dustrial  progress  under  government  supervision,  for 
never  can  we  submit  to  power  founded  or  sustained  by 
corruption,  crime,  and  evasion  of  law.  The  objects 
of  government  are  to  organize,  to  construct,  to  build 
up,  aid,  and  regulate  progress,  yes,  to  criticise,  re¬ 
form,  and  improve  existing  institutions,  but  never  to 
destroy  those  very  organizations  of  law,  order,  and 
industry,  which  are  the  hope  of  our  future  resistance 
to  foreign  invasion  of  our  rights  and  privileges. 

No  despotism  or  tyranny  shall  rule  in  America,  and 
tyranny  is  the  danger  from  the  power  of  wealth. 
Every  man  who  can  bind  to  his  household  the  sweat 
and  labor  of  other  men  is,  to  that  extent,  a  tyrant, 
whether  he  rule  by  love  or  whether  his  gold  hold  his 
subjects  in  unbroken  bonds.  The  alternative  of  pop¬ 
ular  revolt,  demagogism,  is  more  savage  and  danger¬ 
ous,  so  that  it  is  most  important  that  all  the  powerful 
organizations  and  combinations  for  popular  objec- 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  225 

lives  be  controlled  by  educated  men  of  wisdom  and 
culture;  that  forces  of  destruction  and  anarchy  shall 
never  be  loosed,  but  law,  order,  and  good-will  to 
men  prevail. 

Unity  and  simplicity  of  plan  are  fundamental  for 
every  great  project.  The  hope  of  preserving  the  great 
American  Republic  lies  in  the  education  of  the  people, 
rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  and  in  the  useful  em¬ 
ployment  of  every  citizen,  so  that  none  shall  be  forced 
or  permitted  to  prey  upon  society.  The  objectives  of 
law  must  be  educational  and  corrective,  to  make 
opportunity,  and  furnish  a  livelihood,  for  we  can 
analyze  every  criminal  as  a  degenerate,  in  which  case 
he  must  be  pitied  and  suitable  institutions  and  care 
provided;  or  as  an  outlaw,  and  outlawry  arises  from 
the  lack  of  education,  or  from  some  subversion  of 
education.  Such  affliction  can  be  corrected  through 
change  of  environment  and  the  substitution  of  ser¬ 
vice  and  nourishment  for  want  and  hatred  of  society. 
The  misfortunes  of  our  nation  have  sprung  from  the 
degeneracy  of  popular  understanding,  where  some 
groups  of  men  or  sections  of  the  country  have  stag¬ 
nated  while  others  have  advanced  and  far  outstripped 
them.  In  the  conflict  of  human  forces,  intelligence, 
discipline,  foresight,  and  science  wdn,  but  most  im¬ 
portant  are  the  ability,  willingness,  and  opportunity 
for  every  citizen  to  apply  his  labor,  under  educated, 
organized  leadership,  with  trust  and  confidence  in 
his  superior  officers.  The  time  has  come  to  insist 
upon  confidence,  good-will,  and  co-operation,  and  to 
banish  the  trouble-makers,  who  see  only  conspiracies 
and  intrigues.  Admit  that  honor  is  due  to  labor, 


226 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


and  that  labor  and  education  are  the  two  founda¬ 
tion  pillars  of  our  society 

Now,  then,  of  foremost  importance  is  the  unity  of 
capital  and  labor,  that  the  feuds  of  wealth  and 
poverty  cease,  and  strikes  and  wars  be  relegated  to 
the  annals  of  past  history.  Yes,  a  remedy  must  be 
found;  men  of  thought  and  action,  we  call  upon  you 
to  dodge  this  issue  no  longer,  but  bring  forward  and 
put  into  execution  some  reasonable  methods  of  ar¬ 
bitration,  and  deal  with  your  fellow  Americans  as 
brothers  with  brothers.  Of  equal  importance  is  edu¬ 
cation.  Mere  learning  and  book  reading  are  noth¬ 
ing,  but  education  is  the  science  of  right  living 
and  development  of  human  productive  capacity. 
Every  child  is  entitled  to  proper  education  as  his 
birthright,  and  this  Government  must  to  that  extent 
overrule  the  claims  of  parents  or  any  institution, 
to  control  childhood  education,  for  our  national  life 
must  be  preserved,  united  in  Truth,  Virtue,  Liberty, 
and  Patriotism.  Problems  of  tremendous  importance 
are  presented  to-day  in  the  necessity  for  the  imme¬ 
diate  restraint  upon  immigration  and  the  protection  of 
the  American  workingman,  so  that  Americans  shall 
not  be  put  out  of  business  by  foreign  competition, 
but  that  our  common  people  may  have  living  wages. 
This  is  the  only  way  to  preserve  our  democracy  from 
the  perils  of  oligarchy,  for  accumulated  wealth  must 
be  viewed  as  a  menace  to  popular  rule.  The  ancient 
policy  of  avoiding  foreign  alliances,  and  the  Monroe 
Doctrine  of  “America  for  Americans’’  must  be  upheld. 
We  cannot  permit  ourselves  to  become  embroiled  in 
any  European  controversy,  although  we  may  aid  dis- 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  227 

tressed  peoples,  and  stand  for  fair  play  and  righteous¬ 
ness. 

All  desirable  fields  of  business  operation  must  be 
kept  free  for  competitive  activity,  and  justice  and 
government  protection  are  needed  for  the  strong  as 
well  as  for  the  weak.  We  must  uphold  honor  with 
justice,  temper  our  charity  with  good-will  and  ser¬ 
vice  to  mankind,  and  educate  our  people  to  unity, 
thrift,  and  Godliness,  so  that  they  see  the  light  of 
truth,  to  organize  and  develop  a  republican  govern¬ 
ment,  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
people. 

Beautiful,  sublime,  and  expressing  the  most  lofty 
conceptions  of  noble  thought,  the  Spirit  of  Liberty 
has  budded  and  flowered  in  America,  in  the  grand 
principles  of  democracy  that  underlie  the  Constitu¬ 
tion  of  our  Republic,  embracing  freedom  of  the  press 
and  civic  policy,  freedom  of  speech  and  assembly, 
freedom  of  religion  and  conscience,  and  freedom  of 
political  life  and  individual  conviction.  These  price¬ 
less  jewels  are  now  our  heritage,  and  it  is  to  defend, 
maintain,  and  preserve  them  that  every  true  Ameri¬ 
can  will  pledge  his  life,  his  fortune,  and  his  sacred 
honor. 

Our  Puritan  ancestors  landed  upon  the  barren  and 
rocky  New  England  coast,  upon  an  inhospitable, 
cold,  and  hostile  shore,  enduring  such  hardships  that 
half  their  number  perished  the  first  winter,  and  can 
we  look  upon  that  sacrifice  with  calm  thoughtlessness, 
as  we  see  them  taking  the  oath,  that  as  soon  as  one 
hundred  families  were  banded  together,  they  would 
found  a  college,  where  their  children  would  learn  of 


228 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  greater  things  of  life  and  would  found  a  nation  for 
future  generations. 

During  the  summer  of  1776  the  Continental 
armies  were  driven  by  successive  defeats  from  Long 
Island  and  New  YTork  across  New  Jersey,  into  Penn¬ 
sylvania,  where  Christmas  Day  found  them  poorly 
armed,  half-starved,  insufficiently  clothed  and  pro¬ 
visioned,  and  in  desperate  straits;  but  their  spirit  was 
unconquered.  With  tattered  rags  for  clothing,  with 
kerchiefs  and  cloths  tied  around  the  feet  for  shoes  and 
stockings,  and  leaving  trails  of  flowing  blood,  that 
gallant  army  marched  through  a  terrible  storm  of  hail 
and  sleet  back  to  the  conflict.  On  that  awful  night, 
when  none  but  hardy,  determined  men  could  even 
endure  the  storm,  through  driving  snow  and  cutting 
wind,  they  crossed  the  Delaware  River  in  small  row¬ 
boats,  and  their  watchword  was  “  Liberty  or  Death.  ” 
Frosted  feet,  hands,  and  noses  were  ignored;  patriots 
died  from  the  terrible  voluntary  exposure  of  that 
fearful  night,  and  their  frozen  corpses  littered  up  the 
line  of  march,  but  victory  crowned  the  toil  of  that 
valiant  army.  At  Trenton  they  captured  the  Hessian 
troops  with  the  greatly  needed  supply  of  provisions 
and  arms,  and  new  hope  was  instilled  in  the  hearts 
of  the  Continental  armies,  at  this  most  critical 
period  of  the  American  Revolutionary  War.  Thus 
were  laid  the  foundations  of  our  free,  non-sectarian 
public  school  system,  the  marvel  of  the  age,  the 
melting  pot  for  all  nations,  amalgamating  every  race 
and  creed  into  the  free,  liberty -loving  American  citi¬ 
zen,  and  promising  to  every  individual  absolute  per¬ 
sonal  freedom.  Thus  were  laid  the  foundations  of 


229 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

religious  Liberty  and  the  open  Bible,  of  the  American 
spirit  of  fair  play  and  good-will  to  all  men,  and  of  the 
free  press,  free  speech,  and  free  civic  policy  of  our 
nation. 

But  while  the  Puritans  worshipped,  their  muskets 
were  stacked,  close  at  hand,  loaded  for  warfare.  The 
minute  men  of  the  Revolution,  even  while  plowing 
the  fields,  were  prepared  to  rush  to  arms,  and  General 
Washington  prayed  at  Valley  Forge,  with  his  sword  in 
his  hand  and  the  saddle  upon  his  charger.  To-day  we 
cannot  afford  to  let  our  coasts  be  undefended,  nor  risk 
the  invaluable  heritage  that  is  ours  by  reason  of  the 
sacrifice  of  life  and  property  of  our  ancestors.  Be 
assured  we  are  not  free  from  danger  of  invasion,  for 
there  are  criminal  nations  ready  to  levy  blackmail, 
and  to  attack  any  defenseless  land  for  plunder,  pil¬ 
lage,  and  slaughter.  The  navy  of  Great  Britain  has 
saved  her  from  the  cruel  blast  of  war,  time  and  time 
again,  and  we  must  maintain  such  an  adequate  power 
at  sea  as  to  be  able  to  destroy  any  invading  army 
before  it  could  reach  our  shores.  “ America  First” 
must  be  our  watchword,  for  eternal  vigilance  is  the 
price  of  our  spirit  of  liberty. 

A  certain  young  man  invested  his  all  in  business; 
and  the  storms  came,  and  he  toiled  and  worried  day 
and  night.  His  powerful  competitor  stepped  into 
the  home  to  crush  his  puny  opponent.  Glancing 
about  the  room,  he  placed  his  hand  upon  the  man  s 
shoulder,  and  said:  “I  will  assist  you  through  this 
winter’s  hardship,  and  spring  will  bring  you  suc¬ 
cess.”  A  sickly  wife  smiled,  and  the  face  of  a  helpless 
infant  brightened,  as  clouds  of  darkness  and  dread 


£30 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


were  riven  by  the  sunshine  of  hope.  The  most  bitter 
foe,  overpowered  by  kindness,  becomes  the  staunch¬ 
est  ally.  To  gain  the  “  Good-will  ”  of  your  adversary, 
that  is  THE  GREATEST  VICTORY. 

The  political  arena  of  every  nation  is  divided  into 
the  conservative  element  against  the  liberal  element. 
Minor  questions  come  and  go  and  are  either  accepted 
as  part  of  the  institutions  of  the  nation  or  forever  for¬ 
gotten,  but  these  two  contending  forces  will  last  as 
long  as  governments  exist  among  men.  In  America, 
both  the  Republican  and  Democrat  ic  parties  are  essen¬ 
tial  to  our  continued  progress  and  one  acts  as  a  brake 
upon  the  other.  The  Republican  party  has  always 
favored  a  centralized  government,  being  a  rule  by 
representation,  rather  than  directly  by  popular  vote. 
There  is  a  tendency  to  favor  the  increase  of  the  power 
of  the  President,  his  cabinet,  and  all  appointive  offi¬ 
cers;  the  favoring  of  a  strong  national  banking  system 
and  a  high  protective  tariff.  It  is  a  good  thing  for 
the  country  to  have  these  ideas  kept  prominently 
before  the  people,  for,  just  as  the  sun,  moon,  and 
stars  are  held  in  position  by  repelling  and  attracting 
forces,  so  the  elements  of  our  Government  are  con¬ 
structed  and  operated,  and  the  position  of  the  balance 
wheel  maintained. 

Opposed  to  Republicanism  is  the  Democratic 
party  which  stands  for  the  power  of  the  people,  the 
welfare  of  the  workingman,  and  the  direct  popular 
vote.  While  the  Republican  party  has  always  stood 
for  an  increase  of  national  expenses.  Democracy 
stands  for  economy,  prudence,  and  an  elastic  cur¬ 
rency.  A  tariff  for  revenue  only  is  insisted  upon, 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE!  231 

for  more  revenue  can  be  obtained  from  a  properly 
balanced  tariff  than  from  one  which  prohibits;  but 
while  the  principle  is  right,  the  Democratic  party  has 
not  been  fortunate  as  yet  in  the  application.  The 
most  successful  tariff  reform  will  undoubtedly  come 
through  a  competent  tariff  commission. 

The  Democratic  party  stands  for  a  progressive  in¬ 
come  tax,  for  a  moderate  army  and  navy,  for  a  policy 
of  national  economy,  and  for  a  strict  interpretation  of 
the  Constitution.  The  last  plank  is  assuming  great 
importance  these  days  for  the  people  are  clamoring 
for  equality  and  fraternalism.  We  need  fair  play  and 
good-will  in  business  and  the  protection  of  American 
workingmen  hi  every  line  of  industry.  Blessed  with 
peace  and  prosperity,  the  United  States  of  America 
proves  that  both  republican  and  democratic  insti¬ 
tutions  furnish  security  for  life  and  property,  and  give 
opportunity  for  industrial  progress  and  commercial 
development.  Our  constitutional  rights  are  safe¬ 
guarded  as  never  before,  freedom  of  thought  and 
freedom  of  speech  have  triumphed,  class  distinctions 
have  been  further  removed,  and  the  rabid  attacks 
upon  business,  upon  corporations,  and  upon  the 
wealth  of  the  country  have  ceased.  We  are  back  to 
the  fundamental  principle  that  it  is  the  prerogative 
of  government  to  develop,  advance,  and  regulate 
business,  and  not  to  harass,  confuse,  and  destroy 
industrial  systems.  The  regulations  of  civil  service 
are  well  in  force,  and  the  greatest  men  of  the  nation 
are  silently  and  thoughtfully  guiding  the  ship  of 
state  in  the  best  and  deepest  channels  of  trade  and 
prosperity.  Our  public  schools,  universities,  libraries, 


232 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


churches,  hospitals,  and  asylums,  all  give  the  best 
care  possible  to  health  and  morals,  and  prove  that 
an  era  of  good-will  has  dawned  in  the  wisdom  of  di¬ 
plomacy  and  peace. 

We  admit  there  are  still  many  important  questions. 
Some  claim  we  must  hold  the  Philippines  perma¬ 
nently,  for  commercial  reasons.  But  in  whatever  way 
we  solve  that  problem  we  must  protect  our  Monroe 
Doctrine  of  “America  for  Americans”  and  avoid  every 
foreign  complication.  Our  own  labor  organizations 
need  our  thought  and  protection,  that  foreign  trade 
influence  shall  not  check  our  progress.  44  The  Consti¬ 
tution  and  the  Union  Forever”  is  the  motto  of  the 
new  Americanism  which  has  arisen  during  the  last 
few  years,  and  the  keynote  is  brotherhood  and  good¬ 
will  to  men.  A  world  tossed  about  by  the  tempests 
of  the  perils  of  reconstruction  looks  to  us  for  guid¬ 
ance  and  relief,  and  we  will  not  fail  the  anxious  na¬ 
tions,  for  we  have  within  our  own  borders  the  proof 
that  popular  government  can  be  successfully  estab¬ 
lished  and  maintained. 

The  world  has  a  standing  advertisement, 44  Wanted: 
the  man  able  and  willing  to  accomplish  results.” 
Rome  was  a  mighty  nation  while  her  people  toiled, 
fought,  and  encouraged  thrift  and  industry;  but' when 
slaves  and  idleness  induced  vice  and  corruption, 
her  days  were  numbered.  Self-supporting  ability  of 
every  citizen  is  the  greatest  asset  of  a  nation,  and  we 
want  neither  idle  rich  nor  idle  poor.  Every  day  an 
army  of  young  men  enters  the  industrial  contest 
and  success  always  rewards  energy,  trustworthiness, 
punctuality,  and  dutiful  service,  provided  bad  habits 


233 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

and  evil  companions  do  not  interfere.  Banish  the 
doctor  by  temperance,  the  lawyer  by  thrift,  the 
politician  by  honest  ballot,  and  warfare  by  good-will, 
and  rid  society  of  the  curse  of  strife  and  extravagance. 
Stick  to  your  business  and  your  business  will  stick 
to  you.  Success  is  never  won  by  a  brilliant  dash, 
but  always  comes  after  consistent,  persevering  effort; 
courageous  men  turn  disappointment  and  failure  to 
profit,  and  every  successful  business  man  can  point 
to  many  a  day  when  he  faced  bankruptcy  but  fooled 
his  creditors  into  renewed  confidence.  The  man  who 
does  not  know  when  he  is  defeated  generally  wins, 
for  adversity  arouses  invention,  prudence,  skill,  and 
fortitude.  Do  instantly  whatever  has  to  be  done  and 
grasp  immediately  every  prospective  opportunity. 
Make  it  a  rule  to  do  a  service  for  another  on  every 
possible  occasion,  for  you  can  never  injure  yourself 
by  favoring  another.  Give  your  employer  more  than 
he  is  entitled  to,  and  pay  your  debts  before  they  are 
due,  and  so  win  a  reputation  for  efficiency  and  good 
credit.  The  man  who  perpetually  hesitates  accom¬ 
plishes  nothing;  it  is  the  man  who  dares  who  wins. 
Practise  contentment  and  industry  and  never  waste 
time  on  doubts  and  fears.  There  is  no  luck,  for  all 
great  discoveries  are  made  by  men  who  are  looking 
for  something.  Let  your  only  ambition  be  to  be 
right,  for  the  courage  of  conviction  cannot  be  con¬ 
quered.  Look  for  beauty,  and  never  notice  discord 
or  wrong,  except  with  the  purpose  of  correction. 
Never  speak  an  unkind  word,  think  an  unkind 
thought,  nor  do  an  unkind  deed,  but  let  brotherly 
good-will  rule  every  action,  for  the  true  end  of  right 


234 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


living  is  service.  Bind  your  friends  with  bands 
of  steel  so  that  they  can  never  escape,  for  what 
richer  blessing  of  life  can  we  imagine  than  the  whole¬ 
hearted  love  of  brotherhood,  which  may  not  end 
with  this  life  but  may  add  the  richest  beauty  to  life 
eternal. 

Reformation  is  not  a  new  idea,  but  laws  of  capital 
punishment  are  still  in  force,  although  the  many 
individual  writings  of  the  day  give  hope  that  the 
public  will  speedily  act  upon  these  important  mat¬ 
ters  and  make  the  aim  of  law  to  be  justice  and  the 
end  of  punishment  to  be  reformation.  This  means  a 
revolution  in  our  criminal  laws  and  procedure,  if  not 
in  fact  a  revocation.  Laws  are  a  necessity  to  society, 
but  in  the  strict  application  by  judges,  criminals  are 
often  unpunished  and  examples  are  made  of  the  mis¬ 
takes  or  carelessness  of  men  acting  without  criminal 
intention,  whereas  one  of  the  most  fundamental 
theories  of  criminal  law  is  that  without  criminal 
intent  there  can  be  no  crime.  History  will  show  that 
the  greatest  men  of  every  nation  have  been  lawyers 
who  have  dedicated  their  lives  to  protect  the  unwary 
and  innocent.  Law  is  a  code  of  principles,  active, 
and  living  rules  of  conduct,  upon  which  government 
is  based.  Law  not  only  must  protect  the  weak  but 
also  the  strong.  In  the  strict  enforcement  of  law 
great  injustice  may  be  done,  and  the  purpose  of  the 
greatest  good  to  the  greatest  number  not  served.  One 
instance  is  the  case  of  Grant  and  Lincoln.  Grant  was 
accused  of  drunkenness,  but  when  a  group  of  re¬ 
formers  urged  this  against  his  appointment  as  general 
of  the  armies  of  the  nation,  President  Lincoln  replied: 


23  5 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

“X  wish  I  knew  the  brand  of  his  whiskey,  as  I  would 
give  the  same  to  other  generals.5 5  Common  sense 
teaches  liberality,  and  the  greatness  of  a  man  is 
shown  by  his  slowness  to  condemn  and  his  quickness 
to  forgive. 

Hardened  criminals  are  really  insane  persons  and 
the  effect  of  punishment  is  barbarous  and  temporary. 
Penitentiaries  should  also  be  reformatories  where 
prisoners  should  be  continually  in  contact  with  good 
books,  with  moral  teachers  and  opportunities  to  im¬ 
prove  mind  and  body.  In  England,  once  there  is  a 
trial  by  jury,  the  case  usually  ends,  unless  the  Crown 
sees  fit  to  pardon.  The  quality  of  mercy  is  better 
than  the  quality  of  victory  by  appeal  and  error. 
President  Lincoln  won  the  good-will  of  the  nation  by 
his  forgiveness  of  unfortunate  soldier  boys.  When 
he  was  urged  to  have  a  youth  executed  for  throwing 
down  his  musket  he  said,  “I  am  undecided  whether 
he  will  serve  his  country  better  living  or  dead,” 
pigeon-holed  the  complaint,  and  a  good  soldier  was 
won  for  the  nation.  There  are  very  few  men  who 
cannot  be  readily  brought  to  a  useful  life  with  proper 
assistance  and  advice,  and  any  man  who  does  not 
respond  to  such  treatment  is  mentally  deficient  and 
should  be  classified  as  criminally  insane. 

What  a  field  for  service  this  idea  of  reformation 
offers  to  rulers,  to  judges,  to  physicians,  and  to  public 
leaders  to  render  service  to  society!  Who  can  esti¬ 
mate  the  value  of  every  citizen  thus  reclaimed? 

We  have  half  a  million  prisoners  in  this  country, 
so  the  problem  is  one  of  great  importance,  and  in 
every  case  it  is  the  business  of  the  State  to  heal  the 


236 


PATBIOTIC  ESSAYS 


X 


broken-hearted  and  never  to  cast  him  down  into 
deeper  disgrace  and  shame. 

Upon  a  beautiful  crescent  of  flowers  in  one  of  the 
greatest  cities  of  the  Middle  West  was  pictured  these 
words:  “Life  is  worth  living.”  Many  Americans 
are  too  selfishly  engaged  in  the  mad  scramble  for 
wealth  to  do  justice  to  patriotism.  To  seek  wealth 
for  the  sake  of  accumulating  money  is  the  lowest 
ideal  and  the  only  worthy  excuse  for  striving  to  in¬ 
crease  wealth  is  to  increase  the  ability  for  service  to 
humanity.  The  lust  for  gold  destroys  character  and 
manhood  and  causes  the  great  waste  of  national 
resources.  Even  the  motherhood  of  the  nation  is 
being  drawn  into  the  dangerous  whirlpool  of  emo¬ 
tional  unrest,  and  it  is  only  a  return  to  the  old- 
fashioned  family  altar  that  can  save  American  wives 
and  sweethearts  from  sweatshop  slavery  and  political 
jobbery.  The  greatest  peril  lies  in  the  luxurious 
life  of  inactivity  for  some,  and  the  strain  of  increas¬ 
ingly  intense  hardship  for  many,  which  spells  decay 
of  a  hardened  citizenry;  and  the  great  duties  of  our 
national  life  cannot  be  performed  except  through 
the  virtue  of  the  women  of  America. 

Walk  through  the  country  and  notice  the  ineffi¬ 
ciency  of  efficiency.  Many  an  aged  farmer  stands 
at  the  gate  of  the  old,  dilapidated  home  and  tells  how 
the  young  men  and  women  have  gone  to  the  city  and 
have  been  swallowed  up  in  the  modern  lure.  No 
money,  spent  to  produce  beautiful,  serviceable  high¬ 
ways,  is  wasted  and  we  want  broad  roads,  and  may 
well  plant  fruit,  fruit  trees  and  nut  trees  of  every 
variety  along  these  great  highways  open  to  public 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 


237 


use.  Then  turn  our  attention  to  the  fish  life,  the  bird 
life,  and  the  animal  life.  There  is  no  reason  why 
every  stream,  lake,  and  river  should  not  teem  with 
fish  and  game,  and  deer  and  rabbits  be  plentiful  in 
every  field.  Make  life  upon  the  country  estates 
profitable,  for  it  is  a  necessary  step  in  our  national 
progress  to  increase  interest  in  intensive  agriculture, 
where,  in  the  realms  of  fresh  air,  bright  sunshine,  and 
good  substantial  food,  the  stock  of  American  man¬ 
hood  may  hold  its  own  and  indeed  find  that  life  on 
the  farm  is  worth  living. 

The  principles  of  brotherhood  imply  that  a  spirit 
of  good-will  shall  exist  which  must  never  be  violated. 
One  brother  must  never  take  advantage  of  nor  de¬ 
fraud  another,  and  every  brother  must  give  another 
brother  encouragement  on  every  possible  occasion. 
Is  there  a  little  oasis  in  your  life,  a  little  green  garden 
upon  the  desert  sands  of  time,  some  good  wTork  you 
have  toiled  to  accomplish  and  crowned  with  success, 
some  kindly  deed  done  for  your  friend  or  even  for 
your  enemy,  which  has  made  the  world  a  little 
brighter  and  increased  good-will  among  men?  What 
a  pleasure  it  is  to  look  back  over  such  periods  of 
service,  and  what  an  incentive  to  do  helpful,  friendly 
acts  at  every  opportunity  to  befriend  a  brother,  so 
that  none  shall  suffer  for  the  lack  of  brotherly  kind¬ 
ness.  Courtesy  costs  nothing  but  pays  highest  divi¬ 
dends,  and  bread  cast  upon  the  waters  will  return 
buttered.  It  pays  to  make  friends,  to  keep  friends, 
to  have  friends,  for  there  is  a  value  to  the  friendship 
of  every  business  man,  of  every  organization,  of  every 
individual. 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


238  \ 

All  true  Americans  must  subscribe  to  the  principles 
of  brotherhood  and  patriotism.  Win  every  enemy 
for  your  friend,  that  is  the  best  way  to  dispose  of 
hostility.  The  civilized  world  is  shocked  by  war  be¬ 
cause  it  violates  the  principles  of  brotherhood  and 
good-will  to  men.  Think  of  those  who  should  be 
brothers  giving  all  their  time  and  resources  to  the 
purpose  of  exterminating  manhood.  Every  individual 
must  agree  w  th  every  other  individual  that  each 
should  have  the  opportunities  of  life,  liberty,  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness,  and  likewise  every  nation  should 
so  agree  with  every  other  nation.  Does  not  such  a 
thought  approach  the  millennium,  when  spears  shall 
be  beaten  into  pruning  hooks  and  swords  into  plough¬ 
shares?  With  patience  and  perseverance  the  prog¬ 
ress  of  individual  justice  must  advance,  and  in  the 
future  we  will  shackle  and  destroy  cunning,  deceit, 
and  ill-will,  just  as  we  to-day  repudiate  the  old-time 
principle  that  “  might  makes  right.”  Publish  far 
and  wide  the  good-will  of  the  brotherhood  of  men, 
and  lay  the  foundations  deep  for  future  progress. 
Happiness  and  confidence  are  contagious,  and  in¬ 
dustry,  knowledge,  good-will,  and  trust  are  the  ele¬ 
ments  that  go  to  make  prosperity.  Internal  dis- 
sention  is  a  destructive  force,  and  the  great  object 
must  be  to  maintain  our  nation  as  a  united  people. 
Favor  no  one  but  boost  everywhere  and  business 
conditions  will  steadily  improve.  What  more  attrac¬ 
tive  proposition  can  be  presented  than  4  4  Good-will  to 
Men,”  the  idea  presented  by  “Brotherhood”? 

If  America  means  opportunity  and  recognition  of 
ability  in  the  sharp  competition  of  the  business  world. 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 


239 


how  important  it  is  that  every  honest  and  capable 
citizen  who  is  willing  to  work  should  have  a  “square 
deal.”  Both  in  our  individual  and  national  life  the  ten¬ 
dency  of  Americans  is  to  forget  the  necessity  for  the 
conservation  of  our  national  resources;  often  quality 
is  sacrificed  for  haste  and  vast  quantities  of  products 
are  destroyed  because  of  the  lack  of  regulated  produc¬ 
tion.  While  we  regard  human  life  highly,  we  do  not 
so  regard  men’s  honor,  reputation,  and  ability,  but 
often  these  prerogatives  are  ruthlessly  demoralized. 
In  the  maelstrom  of  activity,  fortunes  are  often  lost 
as  well  as  made,  and  men  who  rise  quickly  to  high 
responsibility,  with  equal  haste  are  deposed,  thrown 
aside,  and  forgotten  in  the  mad  rush  of  betrayal,  con¬ 
demnation,  and  disgrace.  Self-supporting  ability  for 
every  person  is  the  most  valuable  asset  of  a  nation, 
and  second  in  importance  is  a  system  under  which 
every  citizen  with  the  ability  of  self-support  can  have 
the  opportunity  at  hand  of  useful  employment  at 
living  wages.  The  unstability  of  business  institu¬ 
tions,  where  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  new  business 
houses  fail,  gives  rise  to  a  lack  of  respect  for  age,  for 
virtue,  for  achievement,  and  for  honor;  and  the  mad 
rush  proceeds,  regardless  of  the  principles  of  honesty, 
of  righteousness,  and  of  fraternalism. 

Systematic  protection  of  Americans  in  business, 
in  politics,  and  in  salaried  positions  is  necessary  in 
order  to  accomplish  the  greatest  benefit  to  the  great¬ 
est  number.  The  recognized  owners  of  the  nation 
are  Capital  and  Labor,  and  there  should  be  no  room 
for  those  who  do  not  and  will  not  work,  but  insist 
upon  living  on  their  wits,  for  such  men  form  colonies 


240 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


of  educated  thieves  to  prey  upon  society.  The  only 
remedy  is  to  compel  every  citizen  to  have  a  registered 
home  and  occupation,  for  no  individual  is  so  insignifi¬ 
cant  as  not  to  be  worthy  of  governmental  attention. 
Let  there  be  a  square  deal  for  Capital  and  a  square 
deal  for  Labor:  have  a  square  deal  for  the  rich  and 
the  same  for  the  poor:  likewise,  a  square  deal  for  the 
producer  and  a  square  deal  for  the  consumer.  Every 
statement  by  an  American  citizen  should  be  pre¬ 
sumed  true  unless  positively  proved  false,  for  the 
most  dangerous  tendency  in  America  to-day  is  the 
tendency  to  disregard  and  violate  the  personal  rights 
of  talented  men  at  the  instigation  of  any  politician,  at¬ 
torney,  or  irresponsible  person  who,  for  sensational  or 
vindictive  purposes,  makes  the  accusation.  Mean¬ 
while  the  accuser,  to  be  free  from  responsibility  for 
injury  to  his  innocent  victim,  need  only  show  some 
reasonable  or  probable  grounds  for  suspicion.  This 
is  not  justice,  and  there  is  no  greater  national  need 
to-day  than  the  “square  deal”  issue  for  every  citi¬ 
zen. 

The  Flag  of  America  stands  for  the  rights  of  men, 
to  shelter  the  oppressed  and  to  fully  guarantee  to  every 
citizen  Life,  Liberty,  and  the  Pursuit  of  Happiness. 
Other  flags  may  have  a  glorious  past,  but  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  stands  for  a  glorious  future.  It  is 
the  bud  of  promise  for  generations  of  men  fighting 
for  freedom,  for  a  living  wage,  and  for  opportunity 
to  advance  the  cause  of  humanity.  When  the  band 
plays  “The  Star  Spangled  Banner”  stand  with  un¬ 
covered  head,  in  reverence  for  the  principles  for  which 
our  flag  stands,  and  whenever  and  wherever  you 


241 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

come  into  the  presence  of  the  Flag,  take  off  your  hat, 
for  our  hopes  of  righting  the  wrongs  of  men  are 
symbolized  by  our  feelings  as  we  honor  our  National 
Emblem. 

Returning  travelers  meet  the  Flag  with  tears  of 
joy,  as  they  see  again  their  own  land,  and  the  emblem 
that  is  the  banner  of  the  people,  and  not  the  insignia 
of  emperor  or  king.  We  cannot  too  often  renew  in 
the  hearts  of  the  youth  of  America  their  reverence 
for  the  Flag.  In  public  buildings,  in  public  schools, 
in  churches,  upon  highways,  and  in  the  home,  at 
all  times,  it  is  more  than  mere  privilege,  it  is  the 
duty  of  every  American,  at  every  opportunity,  to 
do  homage  to  Star-Spangled  Banner. 

The  success  of  a  republican  form  of  government 
depends  upon  the  recognition  and  reward  of  every 
man  who  stands  for  the  eternal  principles  of  human 
brotherhood,  and  counts  it  his  privilege  and  duty 
to  work,  always  with  the  welfare  of  his  fellowmen 
in  his  heart,  to  fulfil  the  ideals  of  a  government  of, 
by,  and  for  the  people.  It  is  important  for  all  stu¬ 
dents  in  the  public  schools  to  learn  a  little  practical 
law  and  politics,  so  as  to  have  some  idea  how  the 
Nation,  State,  and  City  are  rim,  and  why  we  con¬ 
tinually  struggle  against  evil  in  high  places,  against 
political  privilege,  graft,  taxation,  and  tariff  prob¬ 
lems,  and  dangerous  decisions  by  judges  and  those  in 
authority.  During  the  period  of  character  formation 
for  our  children  it  is  the  prerogative  of  our  public 
schools  to  develop  broad-minded,  progressive,  demo¬ 
cratic  views  of  social  problems,  and  to  destroy  all 
elements  of  bigotry,  hatred,  vice,  and  greed.  This 


242 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


is  the  training  for  citizenship,  so  essential  for  every 
child,  and  in  future  years  the  beneficial  results  will 
appear  in  the  clear  understanding  and  solution  of 
many  of  the  present-day  problems,  which  we  cannot 
meet  and  cannot  remedy  because  of  the  narrow¬ 
mindedness,  prejudice,  racial  affiliations,  and  clannish 
proclivities  of  so  many  citizens  who  have  as  yet  only 
sipped  the  cup  of  the  deep,  altruistic  principles  of  true 
American  ideals.  But,  thanks  to  the  teachings  of 
our  public  schools,  the  future  will  prove  that  some¬ 
where  upon  the  grand  foundations  of  patriotism 
and  nat  onal  welfare  every  youth  and  maiden,  having 
learned  the  lessons  of  life  and  the  principles  of  right 
living,  will  rear  his  or  her  temple  to  the  flag  of  right¬ 
eousness,  of  purity,  and  of  freedom,  Old  Glory,  the 
flag  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

We  believe  in  Business.  Good  Business — Profit¬ 
able  Business — Systematic  Business.  Let  us  have 
confidence  in  the  projects  of  business  men  who  know 
their  business,  as  against  the  expression  of  opinion 
by  persons  who  are  ignorant  of  whys  or  wherefores, 
but  who  speak  generally  for  the  purpose  of  attracting 
attent  on  to  themselves  or  to  some  impractical  hobby. 
Too  much  law  is  more  dangerous  than  not  enough 
law,  for  lawyers,  politicians,  and  unscrupulous  busi¬ 
ness  men  use  laws  to  gain  unfair  advantages.  As  to 
the  principles  of  law  generally,  every  righteous  judge 
is  influenced  by  the  law  of  common  sense  as  to  what 
is  right  and  what  is  wrong,  and  the  law  of  great¬ 
est  benefit  to  the  greatest  number.  The  danger  of 
democracy  is  that  statutory  law  may  so  far  stunt 
and  destroy  enterprise  as  to  make  any  kind  of  leader- 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 


243 


ship  so  dangerous  that  the  greatest  inventors  and 
organizers  can  never  receive  meritorious  advance¬ 
ment  and  recognition.  In  business  as  in  war  we  must 
have  leaders  and  support  them,  and  give  them  fair 
opportunity  to  develop  their  plans  and  reap  the  re¬ 
wards  of  their  labor. 

Consider  equal  rights,  equal  privileges,  and  equal 
duties  for  all  and  take  to  heart  the  old  adage:  “Judge 
not  that  ye  be  not  judged.”  Respect  the  views  of 
others,  for  if  America  means  opportunity  and  recogni¬ 
tion  of  ability  in  the  sharp  competition  of  the  business 
world,  how  important  it  is  that  every  citizen  who  is 
willing  to  work  should  have  a  square  deal. 

There  are  three  steps  in  the  advancement  of  civili¬ 
zation,  the  acquisition  and  accumulation  of  wealth 
and  property  rights  by  force;  the  acquisition  and  ac¬ 
cumulation  of  wealth  and  property  rights  by  cunning, 
and  the  acquisition  and  accumulation  of  wealth  and 
property  rights  by  honesty,  by  ability,  and  by  benefi¬ 
cial  service  to  others.  Let  us  show  respect  to  youth 
as  well  as  to  age,  to  service  as  well  as  to  ability,  and  to 
virtue  as  well  as  to  achievement.  Unite  every  race 
and  creed  into  one  homogeneous,  self-reliant,  mag¬ 
nanimous  community  and  altruistically  live  together, 
in  peace  and  prosperity,  each  respecting  the  views  and 
opinions  of  all. 

Far  into  the  depths  of  truth  our  learned  leaders 
have  delved  and  what  was  formerly  mystery  now  is 
knowledge.  Still  never  let  us  surrender  our  ideals 
and  convictions,  lest  the  understanding  of  truth  pass 
from  us.  The  echoes  of  the  past  are  not  vain  fancies, 
for  where  is  the  dust  that  has  not  been  alive?  As 


244 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  blasting  fiery  meteor,  sunk  in  the  earth,  is  but  a 
stone,  so  wise  men  are  known  for  dullness,  and  the 
fool  for  his  wit.  Innocence  and  ignorance  are  poor 
choosers.  Rather  know  the  truth  and  the  truth  will 
make  you  free.  Society  can  never  organize  as  a  cor¬ 
porate  body  except  under  the  leadership  of  men  of 
exceptional  ability,  whose  influence,  moreover,  may  be 
quickly  shattered  by  unjust  criticisms  and  mean, 
underhanded  attacks.  Let  us  determine  to  reap  the 
benefit  of  the  service  of  our  great  men,  as  the  new 
slogan  reads:  “Sell  your  hammer  and  buy  a  horn.” 

It  is  the  duty  of  Americans  to  support  and  assist 
every  enterprise  of  America.  The  variety,  beauty, 
and  good  workmanship  of  our  productions  are  not 
fully  appreciated  by  our  citizenry.  It  means  some¬ 
thing  to  spend  years  in  the  public  schools  and  col¬ 
leges,  and  people  everywhere  must  look  to  men  of 
American  principles  for  the  highest  ideals  and  for  the 
biggest  and  most  valuable  service.  Don’t  discount 
American  tradesmen,  for  they  are  the  best,  and  will 
give  honest  work.  Don’t  discount  American  em¬ 
ployers,  for  they  need  honest  employees  and  are  en¬ 
titled  to  have  every  employee  take  an  interest  in  the 
business  and  consider  the  welfare  of  his  employer  as 
his  own.  Let  the  dead  past  bury  its  dead  and  for  the 
future  look  to  the  United  States  to  lead  the  world. 
Put  forward  our  best.  Trust  your  future  to  Ameri¬ 
cans  and  you  will  make  no  mistake. 

In  these  strenuous  times,  when  we  are  rushing  for¬ 
ward  with  rapid  changes,  it  is  our  bounden  duty  to 
consider  the  foundations  of  our  Republic  relative 
to  the  institutions  we  are  building  thereon.  As  every 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  245 

citizen  appreciates  and  participates  in  the  govern¬ 
ment,  class  distinctions  are  further  removed  and  the 
political  life  becomes  more  of  the  people,  by  the 
people,  and  for  the  people,  and  both  capital  and  labor 
better  understand  the  needs  of  our  national  and  social 
progress  and  more  of  the  action  and  reactions  of  in¬ 
dustrial  competition  and  co-operation.  Discontent 
of  the  citizenry  means  lack  of  sympathy  with  Govern¬ 
ment  objectives,  but  in  a  new  land  such  as  ours  there 
should  be  no  difficulty  in  maintaining  a  high  standard 
of  living,  keeping  the  complexities  of  life  as  simple 
as  may  be,  without  lowering  standards  of  morality. 
As  society  continually  draws  new  i  recruits  from  the 
lower  classes,  it  has  been  our  policy  always  to  allow 
men  absolute  freedom  to  do  and  be  whatever  they 
please,  it  being  fundamental,  however,  that  no  man 
shall  so  use  his  own  property  as  to  injure  others,  but 
the  rights  of  every  individual  shall  be  recognized  and 
respected.  What  best  fulfils  the  needs  of  our  social 
nature,  our  physical  nature,  our  mental  nature,  our 
moral  nature,  and  our  religious  nature  must  every¬ 
where  and  at  all  times  be  equally  balanced  so  that 
there  may  be  no  disastrous  reaction  from  unsymmet- 
rical  advancement.  The  modern  reform  seems  dan¬ 
gerous  to  many  conservative  people,  but  without 
change  there  can  be  no  progress,  and  these  men  are  all 
working  unselfishly  for  the  uplifting  of  our  republi¬ 
can  institutions,  now  so  securely  rooted  in  the  hearts 
of  the  people. 

Workmen  in  every  trade  have  less  cares  than  the 
employers.  The  plant  owners  must  take  their  pay 
in  credit  and  yet  pay  all  employees  in  cash.  The 


246 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


employers  must  erect  new  buildings  and  plan  the 
productions  for  a  vast,  immediate  profit,  where  the 
value  of  permanent  investment  is  doubtful.  Among 
nations  we  hope  for  the  day  when  wars  will  be  no 
more.  Between  capital  and  labor  we  hope  for 
the  day  when  strikes  will  not  be  called.  Ways  of 
peace  leave  no  ill  will,  no  suffering,  no  destruction, 
and  American  workmen,  these  days  as  never  before, 
should  study  labor  conditions,  study  problems  of 
employers,  and  work  for  the  welfare  of  America. 
Patriotism  demands  that  every  citizen  be  industrious, 
thrifty,  and  peaceable.  Every  industrial  clash,  no 
matter  how  small,  is  a  national  loss  and  reacts  upon 
every  individual  citizen.  Every  ounce  of  strength  and 
profit,  added  to  individual  efficiency  and  capital,  is 
also  added  to  the  sum  total  of  our  national  resources. 
Labor  revolts,  because  of  the  individual  losses  and 
destruction  they  involve,  should  be  avoided.  There 
are  better,  more  modern,  and  more  efficient  methods. 
The  wheels  of  time  grind  slowly  but  they  grind  ex¬ 
ceeding  small,  and  constant  persistent  effort  wins 
popular  good-will  and  assures  the  final  result  in  the 
most  beneficial  form.  Great  objects  cannot  be  per¬ 
manently  accomplished  in  a  day,  but  with  patience 
and  perseverance  the  progress  of  Justice  will  move 
forward  and  keep  in  step  with  the  advancement  of  all 
industrial  interests  of  America. 

Nothing  so  draws  down  the  blessings  of  heaven 
upon  mankind  as  the  Spirit  of  Fair  Play  inducing  cori- 
tentment  and  peace,  order  and  safety  for  the  com¬ 
monwealth.  Even  for  the  most  worthy  purpose, 
to  destroy  the  vilest  evils,  unrighteous  weapons  of 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE!  247 

attack  or  defence  should  never  be  used,  but  let  the 
victory  come  through  righteousness  and  good-will. 
Justice  never  exaggerates  a  fault,  Charity  overlooks 
defects,  and  the  best  friends  of  civilization  are  those 
who  increase  peace  and  prosperity.  There  are  some 
accusations  against  which  no  man  can  exempt  or 
defend  himself,  and  the  only  defence  is  to  ignore  the 
accusation  and  live  it  down.  But  Fair  Play  demands 
the  recognition  of  industry,  justice,  and  charity,  and 
that  judgment  should  never  be  passed  adversely  upon 
the  motives  and  intentions  of  public-spirited  men 
without  proof  of  facts.  Give  credit  to  the  self-made 
man  and  to  those  who  raise  magnificent  structures, 
and  reward  service  with  approval  rather  than  with 
criticism.  It  is  a  glorious  work  for  a  man,  starting 
with  a  small  beginning,  to  establish  his  business  and 
spread  his  influence  far  and  wide  in  useful  service  to 
his  fellowmen.  Fair  Play  demands  great  liberality, 
and  instead  of  envy  and  strife,  let  us  give  assistance 
to  every  effort  and  add  congratulations  to  every  suc¬ 
cessful  venture. 

Vast  wealth  is  evidence  of  greatness,  just  as  great 
learning  is  an  element  of  culture.  Many  persons, 
who  cannot  be  wealthy,  avenge  themselves  by  pro¬ 
claiming  that  fortunes  are  acquired  by  dishonesty  and 
graft.  Others  who  cannot  acquire  education  claim 
that  learning  stifles  service  to  our  fellowmen.  The 
true  benefactor  of  the  race,  whether  rich  or  poor,  is  the 
man  who  makes  two  ships  sail  where  only  one  sailed 
before  or  who  increases  thrift,  personal  efficiency  and 
production.  What  a  delightful  world  this  would  be 
if  every  person  applied  the  golden  rule  and  lived  and 


248 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


toiled  only  to  increase  the  sum  total  of  the  happiness 
of  all.  It  is  self-sacrifice  and  not  love  of  glory  that 
reveals  the  nobility  of  the  human  soul.  Our  deeds 
build  the  foundation  of  our  lives,  and  we  must  not 
only  all  move,  but  all  move  forward,  and  all  move  to¬ 
gether.  Strive  to  eradicate  ignorance,  disease,  and 
persecution  from  the  race  and  in  their  stead  encourage 
equality,  fraternity,  and  that  richest  pearl  of  life, 
Liberty  of  Thought.  The  chain  is  no  stronger  than 
the  weakest  link  and  the  vanguard  of  the  army  can¬ 
not  move  forward  until  the  rear  guard  catches  up. 
So  we  must  have  moderation  in  all  things,  even  in 
progress,  so  as  to  avoid  any  violent  reaction.  The 
army  of  culture  and  race  welfare  must  constantly 
entrench  and  conserve  every  gain.  Each  stranger 
within  our  gates  must  be  cared  for  that  none  may 
suffer  for  the  lack  of  brotherly  kindness,  thus  ac¬ 
complishing  the  greatest  good  for  the  greatest  num¬ 
ber. 

Make  your  life  profitable.  Have  we  any  right  to 
exist  in  this  world  as  ciphers,  without  increasing  the 
wisdom  of  the  heart,  the  learning  of  the  mind,  and  the 
usefulness  of  our  being.  Constantly  build  up  the 
great  sources  of  power,  both  mental  and  physical, 
so  as  to  be  better  able  to  perform  deeds  of  service  to 
others  and  to  resist  and  overcome  all  evil  propensi¬ 
ties.  It  is  the  province  of  wisdom  to  control  our  pas¬ 
sions,  regulating  them  by  moderation  in  every  pleas¬ 
ure,  in  every  sorrow,  and  in  every  struggle  of  life. 
Yet  avoid  the  other  extreme,  for  we  cannot  admire  the 
cold,  hard,  unsympathetic,  cruel  type  of  business  man, 
but  rather  it  is  necessary  that  power  be  tempered 


249 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

with  mercy  and  service  with  charity  toward  all.  Men 
are  frail  creatures,  and  the  most  powerful  man  with 
the  loudest  voice  will  often  fall  just  when  a  little 
more  patience  and  perseverance  would  have  won  the 
fight.  It  is  the  spirit  and  mental  poise  that  after  all 
win  the  battle,  and  mental  poise  arises  from  deeper 
thought  and  more  scientific  control  of  every  passion. 

Hope  is  one  of  the  great  virtues,  and  must  not  be 
confused  with  overconfidence,  rashness,  ambition, 
pleasure,  or  joy.  It  partakes  of  cheerfulness,  trust, 
faith,  and  confidence  and  links  the  past  and  present 
to  the  future,  to  furnish  proof  that  in  spite  of  human 
frailty  and  the  power  of  evil,  all  things  are  working 
together  for  the  uplifting  and  betterment  of  the  race. 
Happy  are  they  who  can  combine  Charity  and  Humil¬ 
ity  with  Hope,  for  such  persons  will  never  have  cause 
to  say  “All  is  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit.”  There 
are  dark  periods  of  despondency  and  gloom  in  every 
life,  but  these  only  furnish  most  convincing  proof 
that  we  should  habitually  cultivate  every  pure,  gen¬ 
erous,  and  amiable  characteristic  of  our  being.  Hope 
brings  serenity,  happiness  and  benevolence,  and  binds 
together  the  golden  links  of  the  chain  of  human  events. 
The  warning  to  every  young  man  is  never  to  mistake 
overconfidence  for  hope.  Test  every  plank  before 
you  walk  on  it  and  never  enter  a  hole  where  you  can¬ 
not  clearly  see  your  way  out.  “Safety  First”  is  the 
safest  rule  to  make  certain  that  hopes  will  be  realized. 

May  we  never  permit  covetousness,  greed,  and 
envy,  to  destroy  our  respect  for  men  who  have  ren¬ 
dered  service,  and  who  are  truly  entitled  to  reap  the 
rewards  of  their  labor.  It  is  high  time  the  American 


250 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


nation,  as  a  united  people,  give  their  undivided  atten¬ 
tion  to  the  study  of  the  economic  forces  of  construc¬ 
tion  and  development,  of  manufacturing  all  com¬ 
mercial  commodities,  to  conserve  the  energies  of  each 
individual  citizen  and  bring  him  to  the  highest  de¬ 
gree  of  efficiency  possible.  If  we  are  to  discover  any 
practical  solution  of  our  social  and  economic  prob¬ 
lems,  we  must  first  scatter  and  find  employment  for 
the  hordes  of  capable  men  who  to-day  reap  an  easy 
living  because  of  the  dependence  of  our  industrial 
and  commercial  enterprise  upon  the  peculiar  vicissi¬ 
tudes  of  political  activity,  where  reason  and  judg¬ 
ment  are  dethroned,  and  where  gold  is  the  oil 
which  heals  the  deepest  wounds,  and  keeps  in 
motion  the  rusty,  ponderous  machinery  of  civic 
government  of  the  people  and  by  the  people  and 
for  the  people. 

Right  living  is  a  complicated  but  interesting  busi¬ 
ness,  and  good-will,  consisting  of  charity  for  all  and 
malice  toward  none,  as  Lincoln  puts  it,  is  the  essential 
factor  of  friendly  and  beneficial  relationship.  Good¬ 
will  has  at  its  foundation  the  recognition  of  the  fact 
that  we  are  not  alone  in  the  great  human  system, 
but  we  must  regard  our  fellowmen  with  benevolent 
justice  and  sincere  impartiality.  Boost,  don’t  knock; 
encourage,  don’t  scold;  build,  don’t  destroy;  give 
yourself  and  don’t  spend  all  your  life  in  taking  from 
others.  The  man  who  speaks  his  mind  opens  the 
door  to  criticism,  but  better  to  meet  controversy 
than  to  stunt  the  intellect.  Recognize  every  great 
American  industrial  development  and  business  enter¬ 
prise  as  only  another  cornerstone  upon  which  to  build 


251 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

our  national  prosperity  and  work  to  increase  public 
good-will  toward  business  and  business  good-will 
toward  labor.  We  need  publicity  to-day  along  po¬ 
litical  and  social  lines  and  our  business  men  need 
greater  business  protection,  consideration,  respect, 
and  good-will,  so  that  industry  may  flourish  and 
increase,  and  not  be  handicapped  by  thousands  of 
petty  and  useless  annoyances.  The  word  of  a  busi¬ 
ness  man  of  America  should  be  considered  as  true 
until  it  is  proven  false,  and  business  should  not  be 
hampered  by  series  upon  series  of  long  reports  and  in¬ 
vestigations  wdiich  are  destructive  both  in  their  incep¬ 
tion,  conception,  deception,  exception,  and  final  inef¬ 
fective  results.  Even  when  success  is  attained,  the 
country  suffers  because  of  the  destruction  of  some 
beneficial  line  of  occupation  and  in  addition  pays  a 
long  bill  of  useless  expenditures.  It  is  pleasant  and 
wholesome  to  be  influenced  by  men  who  have  a  feeling 
of  the  dignity  and  value  of  occupation  and  industry, 
and  who  extend  to  every  working  fellowman  a  similar 
conception  of  his  worth  and  importance.  The  philos¬ 
ophy  of  the  American  is  that  we  must  hurry  at  times, 
that  we  may  not  be  unprepared  at  some  critical  mo¬ 
ment  later,  but  the  ultimate  object  is  always  to  save 
time,  to  eliminate,  to  systematize,  to  accomplish, 
and  to  increase  self-reliance?  will-power,  and  the  re¬ 
sults  of  labor.  It  is  right  then  to  stand  for  the  ad¬ 
vancement  and  progress  of  every  business  interest  in 
America.  Extend  everywhere  to  all  men  the  spirit 
of  good-will,  fair  play,  and  assistance  whenever  and 
wherever  possible,  and  the  bread  cast  upon  the  waters 
will  return  again  to  you  after  many  days, 


252 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


With  absolute  liberality  and  justice  to  all  men,  we 
must  take  our  stand  for  the  United  States  Consti¬ 
tution,  otherwise  we  may  not  maintain  our  broad¬ 
minded  unity  of  Nation  and  State.  It  is  well  to 
understand  that  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States 
of  America  comprises,  firstly,  laws  and  regulations 
for  the  government  of  this  Union  directly,  and 
secondly,  indirectly  stands  as  a  codification  of  rules 
of  order  and  liberty  in  the  government  of  every  in¬ 
dividual  State,  for  each  State  has  its  own  Constitu¬ 
tion  with  which  to  govern  its  own  affairs,  subject  to 
the  laws  and  amendments  of  the  Federal  Constitu¬ 
tion.  The  small  republics  which  arose  in  medieval 
times  in  the  various  States  of  Italy,  Greece,  and  Ger¬ 
many  all  fell  because  there  was  no  broad-minded 
unity  respecting  the  opinions  of  all  citizens.  As 
Theodore  Roosevelt  has  said,  “We  do  not  wish  in 
politics,  in  literature,  or  in  art,  to  develop  that  un¬ 
wholesome  parochial  spirit,  that  over-exaltation  of  the 
little  community,  at  the  expense  of  the  great  nation, 
which  produces  what  has  been  described  as  the  pa¬ 
triotism  of  the  village,  the  patriotism  of  the  belfry.” 
It  is  such  a  spirit  as  has  kept  all  South  America  in 
revolution  for  five  centuries,  and  this  same  spirit, 
for  a  much  longer  period,  held  all  Europe  in  the  chains 
of  ignorance,  superstition,  and  disorder,  so  that  no 
fair-minded,  liberal  laws  could  be  enacted;  and  Eur¬ 
ope  then  finally  threw  off  this  yoke  of  bondage,  only 
to  fall  into  the  snares  of  imperialism.  Therefore  we 
see  that  it  matters  not  by  whom,  or  against  whom, 
discrimination  is  aroused;  it  is  by  its  very  nature  un¬ 
democratic,  and  therefore  un-American,  for  our  Con- 


253 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

stitution  guarantees  to  every  citizen  life,  liberty,  and 
the  pursuit  of  happiness  without  qualifications. 

Immigrants  from  Europe  have  attempted  to  intro¬ 
duce  into  America  anarchy,  imperialism,  and  divisions 
of  the  State  and  national  unity  at  various  times,  but 
our  great  American  commonwealth  can  never  coun¬ 
tenance  any  division  of  our  unity  in  favor  of  any 
class,  sect,  race,  or  condition  of  men,  but  does  and 
must  require  absolute  fidelity  and  allegiance  of  all 
to  the  free  principles  of  our  American  Constitution. 
We  fought  the  great  Civil  War  to  retain  our  unity 
and  for  recognized  principles  of  freedom  and  justice. 
The  poorest  immigrant  admitted  within  our  borders 
is  entitled  to  the  fullest  protection  of  all  our  laws  of 
liberty  and  order,  and  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  re¬ 
strict  immigration,  so  as  to  treat  every  nation  alike  in 
the  right  of  their  citizens  to  enjoy  immigration  privi¬ 
leges,  subject  to  laws  necessary  for  our  own  protec¬ 
tion  and  self-preservation.  Therefore,  the  main  quali¬ 
fication  of  every  applying  immigrant  should  be  that 
he  take  out  first  application  papers  of  citizenship,  to 
make  this  land  his  home  so  that  if  the  applicants  for 
immigration  privileges  by  our  laws  are  undesirable  or 
prohibited  from  citizenship  privileges,  we  may  also 
refuse  them  immigration  privileges,  and  admit  them 
only  upon  special  State  laws,  to  give  them  business  or 
representative  privileges.  It  is  necessary  to  meet 
every  question  that  can  possibly  arise  on  this  danger¬ 
ous  question,  for  our  nation  must  present  to  every 
friendly  power  uniform  laws  on  immigration,  and  no 
separate  State  can  afford  or  be  permitted  to  violate 
or  jeopardize  the  spirit  of  absolute  fair  play  of  our 


254  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

American  Constitution  to  every  land,  nation,  and 
people. 

Original  genius  is  always  better  than  imitation, 
and  if  Americanism  spells  anything  it  spells  American 
home  rule,  service,  and  American  initiative.  We  can 
look  back  a  few  years  and  see  the  highest  American 
society  ladies  fondling  French  poodles,  modeling 
Parisian  gowns,  and  playing  scenic  revelries  direct 
from  London,  but  how  are  the  mighty  fallen,  when 
our  robustly  patriotic  citizens  hail  America  as  the 
leader  of  new  ideas.  The  day  has  come  when  an 
American  who  ceases  to  be  an  American  loses  his 
personality  entirely,  and  when  we  ask  what  principles 
a  man  stands  for,  we  see  him  proudly  swell  out  his 
chest  and  say  “Americanism,”  as  if  all  was  said  and 
performed  by  that  magic  word.  First  and  last,  this 
Americanism  means  more  for  America  than  any  idea 
ever  yet  in  our  history  presented,  for  it  includes  unity, 
fair  play,  and  a  square  deal  for  all  Americans,  regard¬ 
less  of  nationality,  creed,  color,  or  political  tendency. 

Here  is  the  principle,  “A  man  is  a  man,  to  be 
measured  by  the  labor  he  performs  and  the  service 
he  renders  to  society  and  to  America.”  When  the 
hammer  strikes  the  blow  upon  the  nail,  it  rebounds, 
and  when  the  pendulum  swings  over  the  perpendicu¬ 
lar  of  the  fulcrum,  the  swinging  force  will  carry  it  as 
far  beyond,  for  to  every  action  there  comes  a  counter¬ 
action.  It  is  the  part  of  Americanism  to  catch  and 
dissipate  the  recoil  of  patriotism,  and  provide  a 
healthy  unity  of  thought  and  freedom  against  dis¬ 
crimination  for  all  Americans,  so  that  none  can  say 
a  square  deal  was  not  accorded.  When  the  rough 


255 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

places  are  made  smooth,  some  high  points  must  be 
ground  down,  and  the  low  places  filled  in;  some  must 
suffer  and  some  must  toil;  wealth  must  decrease  that 
poverty  be  relieved,  and  capital  must  arbitrate  in 
order  that  the  recognized  labor  may  be  treated  as 
leading  men,  leading  living  men.  The  problems  con¬ 
fronting  us  on  this  question  of  Americanism  have 
already  brought  us  into  untried  fields,  where  we  can¬ 
not  find  precedents  with  which  to  square  and  measure 
our  work,  and  we  thus  are  driven  to  the  use  of  the 
word  Americanism  to  designate  the  American  pro¬ 
gressive  thought. 

There  is  much  more  to  this  new  thought  than  the 
French  phraseology,  “  Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fra¬ 
ternity,”  for  it  covers  the  thought  that  every  citizen 
must  learn  to  think,  to  speak,  and  to  live  in  terms  of 
American  unity.  The  foundation  of  true  American¬ 
ism  is  useful  service,  and  the  present-day  demand  is 
for  every  citizen  to  measure  himself  by  the  square  of 
his  accomplishments  for  America  and  prove  his 
worth.  A  poet  or  writer  may  find  he  has  swayed 
public  opinion  from  the  paths  of  discrimination  and 
waste  to  new  patriotic  thoughts  of  justice  and  right¬ 
eous  conduct.  The  laboring  man  will  find  his  daily 
toil  has  increased  the  sum  total  of  the  wealth  of  his 
native  land,  and  he  should  render  his  efficient  labor 
with  the  object  of  the  welfare  of  all  classes  of  citizens 
in  his  heart,  and  not  use  his  organization  to  upset 
the  normal  status  of  trade  so  as  to  bring  benefits  to 
some  at  the  expense  of  many.  The  leaders  of  indus¬ 
try  and  commerce  may  count  the  gain  through  or¬ 
ganization  and  system,  for  their  highest  purpose  is  to 


256 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


increase  organized  efficiency  and  business  co-opera¬ 
tion.  Likewise  let  the  statesmen  and  professional 
craftsmen  judge  themselves  and  say,  “Well  done,  we 
also  are  necessary  and  useful  members  of  society.” 

Then  for  a  moment  leave  this  pleasant  field  of  ideal 
Americanism  and  study  men  organized  to  antagonize 
healthy  political,  social,  and  industrial  unity.  Too 
often  men  of  highest  birth  and  educational  privilege 
mingle  with  outcasts  and  hopeless  vagrants,  like  as 
the  hawks  and  wolves  of  forest  and  plain.  We  have  a 
right  to  ask  the  labor  agitator,  the  political  organizer, 
the  wealthy  club  leader,  the  gamblers,  the  criminal 
hordes,  and  all  who  are  the  drones  of  business  or 
society,  what  excuse  have  they  for  such  conduct  and 
why  they  cannot  discover  in  their  own  lives  some 
worthy  ideals  for  the  upbuilding  of  society.  They 
berate  the  reformer  for  trying  to  reform  too  much, 
but  the  test  of  the  worth  of  the  reformer  is  his  capac¬ 
ity  of  hardy  moral  and  physical  courage  to  stir  up 
righteous  indignation  against  every  form  of  injustice 
in  a  practical,  sympathetic  way,  and  plan  out  the 
cause,  the  effect,  and  the  remedy.  Neither  faultfind¬ 
ing  nor  criticism  can  be  classed  as  reformation,  and 
neither  gossiping  nor  display  is  an  element  of  culture. 
So  we  will  add  another  side  to  Americanism  and  call 
it  the  culture  of  efficient  service,  requiring  that  every 
American  engaged  in  useful  occupation  in  any  field 
of  accomplishment,  whether  he  toils  in  the  ranks  of 
labor  or  racks  his  brain  in  avenues  of  statesmanship 
or  of  some  useful  profession,  be  rated  as  endowed  with 
this  basic  component  principle,  which  we  have  de¬ 
scribed  as  “ Americanism.”  One  other  element  of 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE !  257 

this  Americanism  must  not  be  overlooked,  and  that 
is  the  mental  qualification  to  recognize  and  stand  for 
what  is  right,  without  fear  or  favor,  and  without  bias 
or  reward.  We  do  not  look  for  any  great  moral 
strength  in  a  man  who  needs  to  be  paid  for  doing  his 
duty.  The  man  who  asks  reward  for  righteous  con¬ 
duct  will  also  accept  reward  for  criminal  neglect  of 
his  civic  obligation.  There  is  a  patriotic,  broad  gen¬ 
erosity  in  this  new  spirit  akin  to  the  resignation  of 
the  soldier  of  self-sacrifice,  when  necessary  for  the 
defence  of  his  country.  Therefore,  as  we  endow  our¬ 
selves  with  this  new  virtue  of  Americanism,  we  say 
in  very  truth:  “To  the  maintenance  of  the  integrity, 
strength,  and  unity  of  our  great  American  common¬ 
wealth  we  pledge  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our 
sacred  honor.” 

Can  there  honestly  exist  in  the  mind  of  any  Ameri¬ 
can  citizen  an  impression  that  the  foundations  of 
Free  Institutions  in  America  are  not  firmly  rooted  in 
the  hearts  of  all  the  people?  We  must  never  accuse 
without  reason,  nor  condemn  without  cause:  there 
is  but  one  ideal,  that  of  fair  play  and  impartial 
justice,  that  confidence  and  good-will  shall  reign. 
The  enemies  of  a  nation  are  those  who  seek  by  delu¬ 
sive  promises  to  estrange  the  workman  from  his  em¬ 
ployer;  to  array  section  against  section,  race  against 
race;  or  to  stir  up  any  form  of  dissatisfaction,  hatred, 
or  suspicion  among  the  people.  The  strength  of  our 
free  institutions  rests  upon  the  fact  that  we  recognize 
no  class  distinction  in  America,  but  all  men  are  equal, 
differing  only  in  their  qualities  of  intelligence,  effort, 
and  fortune.  Throughout  the  entire  nation  there  is 


258 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


but  one  ideal  of  honor  and  respect  for  the  rights  of  all 
who  have  made  this  land  their  home,  and  we  look 
with  pride  upon  the  youth  of  America,  trained  for  a 
glorious  future. 

What  evidence  has  ever  been  produced  that  any 
American  citizen  has  repudiated  our  ideals?  During 
all  our  history,  the  people  have  chosen  on  every  oc¬ 
casion  National  and  State  leaders,  capable  of  the  high¬ 
est  public  service,  and  we  may  wTell  be  proud  of 
the  men  who  have  stood  before  the  world  as  Presi¬ 
dents  of  this  Republic.  We  have  not  lived  on  theor¬ 
ies,  but  by  achievements,  and  our  statesmen  have 
been  men  of  deeds,  and  not  merely  eloquent  exposi¬ 
tors  of  impossible  impracticabilities.  The  American 
people  want  facts,  and  they  demand  and  will  have 
safe  and  conservative  public  service.  We  have  spent 
a  century  in  developing  this  country,  building  roads, 
and  establishing  industry  and  commerce.  Our  land 
abounds  in  the  best  hospitals,  the  finest  charitable 
institutions,  and  free  public  schools.  Our  Constitu¬ 
tion  guarantees  life,  liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happi¬ 
ness  to  all,  and  never  can  the  foundation  stones  of 
free  press,  free  speech,  and  free  assembly  of  the  people 
be  moved.  The  flag  of  a  United  Nation  floats  over 
these  United  States,  where  the  deeds  of  heroes,  who 
gave  their  lives  to  establish  and  uphold  these  em¬ 
blems,  are  blazoned  in  letters  of  gold.  Well  may  we 
declare  every  American  citizen  a  man  of  integrity 
and  honor,  and  our  people  devoted  to  justice,  charity, 
and  education. 

Who  can  be  a  judge  to  say  to  the  American  business 
man,  “Thus  far  shall  you  go  and  no  farther”?  Each 


259 


AMERICANS,  AWAKE! 

must  so  use  his  own  and  so  conduct  himself,  as  not  to 
injure  his  neighbor,  we  admit;  but  how  can  we  embar¬ 
rass  business  by  restraint  of  freedom  to  contract,  to 
buy,  to  sell,  to  manufacture,  to  trade,  export,  import, 
or  to  use  and  enjoy  the  products  of  the  arts  of  men? 
We  do  not  want  one  law  for  the  rich  and  one  for  the 
poor,  nor  laws  which  may  be  the  source  of  partiality 
and  favor.  National  revenue  is  a  necessity,  and  as  a 
government,  by  its  very  organization,  protects  prop¬ 
erty,  the  stress  and  strain  of  maintenance  should 
rightfully  fall  on  the  owners  of  property,  real  and 
personal,  and  especially  upon  inherited  wealth,  which 
does  not  represent  the  toil  and  sweat  of  the  holder. 
The  object  of  laws,  and  the  powers  to  enforce  laws, 
must  be  to  regulate  and  guide  business  affairs  and 
rules  of  conduct.  Every  leader  will  be  judged  by  the 
standards  of  common  sense  and  business-regulating 
ability.  Men  are  wanted  who  can  instinctively  plan 
wise  and  efficient  government  administration,  and 
who  will  be  true  representatives  of  government 
functions,  exercised  by,  for,  and  of  the  business  men 
of  America.  We  need  have  no  fear  for  our  free  in¬ 
stitutions,  for  every  heart  beats  true,  to  uphold  the 
Constitution  and  the  Flag  forever. 

But  it  is  most  essential  that  we  think  of  Our 
Country  as  the  field  for  service  to  our  fellow  citizens, 
and  never  think  of  these  United  States  as  a  bunch  of 
grapes  from  which  we  can  squeeze  thegraf  t  of  delicious 
wine  into  our  own  individual  drinking  cups.  Our 
nation  faces  greater  problems  to-day  than  ever  before 
in  history,  and  the  only  safety  lies  in  keeping  the  con¬ 
trol  of  State  and  National  legislative  bodies  in  the 


260 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


hands  of  the  business  men  of  America.  The  primary 
purpose  is  to  advance  and  increase  the  industry  and 
commerce  of  these  United  States,  and  the  secondary 
purpose  is  like  unto  it,  to  keep  all  American  citizens 
thrifty,  industrious  and  contented,  with  confidence 
in  our  leaders,  to  protect  Americans  in  business. 
The  era  of  the  business  man  is  here,  and  the  welfare  of 
our  nation  depends  upon  the  stability  and  volume 
of  our  trade  and  productions.  Band  together,  stand 
together,  work  together,  business  men  of  America, 
and  success  awaits  you.  Hesitate  and  delay  even 
for  an  instant  in  these  perilous  times,  and  you  may 
commit  America  to  policies  destructive  of  indus¬ 
trial  efficiency.  Every  patriotic  American  must  now 
stand  pledged  to  support  the  Constitution  and  the 
Flag,  with  confidence  that  America  will  again  ring 
true  to  every  national  need,  that  Righteousness  and 
Justice  shall  move  over  the  nation  as  a  mighty  stream, 
and  Virtue,  Liberty,  and  Patriotism  triumph  through¬ 
out  the  land. 


WORLD  POWER 


UNPRECEDENTED  industrial  opportunities 
have  opened  the  whole  world  to  American 
enterprise,  and  the  bank  accounts  of  Ameri¬ 
can  laborers  and  farmers  prove  our  prosperity.  New 
and  fair  laws  now  take  the  place  of  oppressive  and 
unreasonable  rules,  repressing  intelligence  and  free¬ 
dom,  and  free  trade  is  now  almost  universal,  resplen¬ 
dent  with  new  opportunities  both  in  commerce,  manu¬ 
facturing,  and  agriculture.  We  have  in  America 
the  best  blood  of  England,  the  best  of  Germany,  the 
best  of  France  and  Spain,  the  best  of  Holland,  and  a 
little  training  will  marvelously  develop  our  efficiency 
and  individual  worth,  the  study  of  the  present  hour. 
The  colonization  of  Holland  covers  forty  million  sub¬ 
jects,  the  conditions  of  life  of  every  one  of  whom  is 
better  for  centuries  of  peace  and  prosperity .  History 
discloses  that  Spanish  rule  was  at  one  time  almost 
world  wide,  but  failed  because  of  reasons  we  may  well 
notice  here.  The  modern  rule  must  be  democratic, 


mutually  co-operative,  and  beneficial  both  to  sub- 
jector  and  subjective,  and  the  Spanish  civilization 
was  none  of  these.  The  wealth  which  poured  into 
Spain  during  the  Middle  Ages  lulled  her  people 
to  sleep,  stopped  all  inventions,  and  destroyed  liberal 
thought.  The  easy  profits  corrupted  all  classes  of 
society  resulting  in  idleness,  waste,  greed,  and  prof- 


261 


262 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ligate  living.  The  office  holders  banded  together 
to  accumulate  wealth  and  retain  public  charges  for 
incompetent  family  members;  the  soldiery  engaged 
only  uncivilized  peoples,  and  forgot  to  learn  from 
progressive  neighbors.  The  ships  of  the  navy  were 
obsolete,  old,  and  of  little  value  in  battle,  even  though 
bristling  with  guns  and  decorated  with  royal  colors, 
for  the  sailors  were  sluggish  and  incompetent,  and  the 
ships  unwieldly  and  useful  only  for  parades.  Rut 
most  important  was  the  fact  that  free  institutions 
had  been  blotted  from  this  people,  because  of  bigotry 
and  antiquated  laws.  The  elasticity  of  social  life 
faded  into  political  tyranny,  and  their  commercial 
monopoly  was  lost.  People  after  people  established 
independent  governments,  and  the  homeland,  de¬ 
prived  of  dominion  and  power,  was  left  only  the  pride 
of  ancient  family  and  the  glories  of  a  past  history. 

While  the  civilization  of  Spain  failed  for  its  inher¬ 
ent  weakness,  that  of  Germany  failed  because  of  its 
lack  of  ability  to  adapt  itself  to  changing  conditions. 
The  central  thought,  however,  of  personal  study  and 
development  of  each  citizen  has  fallen  to  the  Ameri¬ 
can  Republics,  where,  unburdened  of  monarchy,  it 
will  produce  a  permanently  successful  standard  of  the 
rule  of  individual  efficiency.  When  kings  and  em¬ 
perors  with  their  favorites  united  in  a  huge  military 
machine  so  powerful  as  to  vibrate  two  hemispheres, 
when  enthroned  might  by  force  of  arms  declared  a 
divine  right  of  emperor  and  dominion,  every  strain 
of  Democracy  bristled  in  rebellion,  to  shake  off  the 
dread  shroud  of  darkness.  Not  that  this  culture  of 
efficiency  is  lost,  for  it  is  only  planted  by  a  master 


WORLD  POWER 


263 


hand,  and  the  thought,  nurtured  and  watered  in 
Democracy,  bids  to  solve  the  problem  of  popular  rule. 
Government  by  military  power  can  never  be  per¬ 
manent,  because,  except  for  an  ability  to  wage  war, 
the  soldiery  has  no  economic  value;  the  individual 
citizen  joins  the  military  caste  to  evade  duties  alike 
of  home,  state,  and  world  service,  and  while  the 
burdens  upon  the  people  increase,  the  application  of 
their  strength  to  economic  problems  is  swallowed  up 
in  accumulated  preparations  of  supplies  and  arma¬ 
ments.  Thus  Imperialism  bows  to  Republicanism, 
and  mankind  admits  that  men  ruling  men  must 
govern  with  constant  consideration  for  the  upbuilding 
of  character  and  development  of  opportunities  of  the 
governed. 

Under  the  French  Republic  broader  social  princi¬ 
ples  arose,  and  France  showed  remarkable  tact  and 
intelligence  in  the  management  of  bodies  of  men. 
The  Colonies  are  represented  in  the  national  council, 
and  skilfully  and  with  perseverance  North  Africa, 
Central  Africa,  and  Indo  China  are  being  not  merely 
subjugated,  but  organized  under  French  leadership 
to  modern  developments.  France  is  extending  her 
republican  principles  of  Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fra¬ 
ternity,  and  working  with  quiet  confident  zeal,  that 
the  present  complicating  perplexities  will  all  be  suc¬ 
cessfully  solved.  We  hear  little  of  the  truly  remark¬ 
able  success  of  the  French  Republic  in  colonization, 
but  France  stands  second  only  to  Great  Britain. 
She  sounds  no  blare  of  trumpet,  no  martial  air,  no 
parade  of  insignia  of  Royalty,  but  the  French  Re¬ 
public  has  truly  risen  from  the  ranks,  a  self-made 


264 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


people,  and  the  world  to-day  with  astonishment  views 
in  France  a  people  of  intense  patriotism,  of  the  highest 
national  ideals,  who  with  all  the  other  competitors, 
true  to  civilization,  reaps  the  reward  of  persevering 
labor  and  industry. 

The  most  wonderful  development  of  world  power 
has  been  built  up  by  Great  Britain,  and  all  peoples 
acclaim  her  success  well-merited  and  above  reproach. 
Two  great  reforms  laid  the  foundation  of  this  empire, 
the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the  almost  absolute 
independence  of  every  dependent  people  in  respect 
to  their  local  self-government.  The  rule  of  man  over 
man  was  never  so  elastic,  so  liberal,  so  free  from 
tyranny,  so  resplendent  with  the  spread  of  culture 
as  developed  in  the  free  institutions  of  Australia  and 
Canada,  and  the  conservative  justice  to  India,  Egypt, 
and  South  Africa.  A  great  family  of  commercial 
dependencies  grew  up,  self-def ending,  self-supporting, 
and  self-governing  peoples,  content  and  satisfied  that 
even  popular  rule  could  never  bring  such  blessings 
as  the  partnership  trade  alliance  with  this  great 
industrial  and  commercial  empire,  of  which  every 
land  w^as  a  component  recognized  part.  So  broad  is 
the  colonial  influence  that  it  is  doubtful  whether 
Great  Britain  rules  the  colonies,  or  the  colonies  rule 
Great  Britain,  but  the  effect  is  the  same,  the  almost 
perfect  understanding  between  the  Mother  country 
and  every  colony.  The  great  trade  routes  of  the 
United  Kingdom  must  be  guarded  against  hostility, 
so  that  the  navy  is  held  to  an  efficiency  at  least  double 
that  of  the  most  powerful  neighbor,  and  the  home¬ 
land  acts  only  as  the  hub  of  a  huge  wheel,  a  central 


WORLD  POWER 


265 


guiding  power.  England  an  Empire  is  essentially 
almost  a  republic  of  republics,  for  in  no  case  is  the 
rule  by  might  nor  by  power,  but  expressly  by  the 
consent,  if  not  in  every  case  by  the  will,  of  the  great 
majority  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  dependency. 

The  world  is  growing  better.  Not  an  ounce  of 
civilizing  power  is  lost  or  destroyed,  but  has  spread 
the  leaven  of  good-will  to  men  to  every  clime  and  to 
every  race.  Denmark,  Italy,  Portugal,  and  Russia 
are  playing  their  national  parts  and  the  Grand  Re¬ 
public  of  the  United  States  of  America  has  directly 
applied  its  influence  to  advance  and  increase  globe 
civilization.  This  old  world  of  force,  anarchy,  hatred, 
and  strife,  even  from  the  red-heated  furnace  of  con¬ 
flict  of  all  nations,  looks  forward  as  never  before  to 
universal  peace  and  good-will  to  men.  The  present 
war  admittedly  results  from  an  attempt  of  military 
power  to  expand  by  force  of  arms,  whereas  civiliza¬ 
tion  decrees  that  not  by  might  nor  by  power  shall 
expansion  come,  but  by  co-operation,  intelligence, 
and  field  development.  Every  commercial  line  is 
now  open  to  the  American  Republics  and  it  is  not  a 
matter  of  experimentation  but  of  achievement. 
Throughout  almost  the  entire  civilized  world  to-day 
men  are  equal  before  the  law,  and  broad  pathways  to 
wealth,  distinction,  and  service  are  open  to  rich  and 
poor  alike,  for  men  are  measured  by  their  personal 
characteristics  and  ability  for  service,  the  develop¬ 
ment  of  the  mind  and  the  physical  prowess  of  the 
body.  No  condition  of  socialism  in  the  sense  of 
dividing  property  is  offered,  but  the  best  element  of 
socialistic  promise,  that  of  individual  opportunity  to 


266 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


develop  the  capacity  to  surmount  difficulties  and 
assume  responsibilities,  is  retained  in  the  new  busi¬ 
ness  confidence  that  has  awakened  every  land  and 
people.  The  plan  of  reconstructing  world  business 
carries  with  it  democratic  self-government  for  all 
peoples,  as  fast  as  they  attain  ability  to  produce  and 
select  capable  leaders.  The  days  of  oppression,  tyr¬ 
anny,  and  exploitation  are  past,  for  the  fittest  civiliza¬ 
tions  survive  and  encompass  the  world  with  doctrines 
of  altruism. 


THE  REALM  OF  REVERIE 


REVERIE  is  the  most  boundless  and  restless 
faculty  of  the  human  mind.  Its  realm  is 
the  earthly  paradise  of  the  soul,  where,  en¬ 
tirely  free  from  all  mortal  restraint,  it  wanders  through 
glassy  glades  of  pleasure,  sails  on  every  ocean  of  re¬ 
nown,  and  accomplishes  innumerable  deeds  of  valor 
and  favor,  all  without  effort  or  fatigue,  without  fear  of 
disappointment,  without  chance  of  failure. 

We  seem  to  live  a  double  life,  one  of  food  and  drink, 
of  waking  and  sleeping,  of  constant  effort  and  action; 
the  other  of  thought  and  imagination,  of  hopes  and 
fears,  of  dreams  and  reveries.  The  life  of  action  is 
our  carnal  life,  in  which  we  must  take  advantage  of 
existing  circumstances,  to  provide  and  care  for  our 
bodies.  The  life  of  the  intellect,  however,  reaches 
beyond  our  earthly  existence,.  There,  forgetful  of 
cares  of  this  world,  and  the  limitations  of  our  power 
we  may  glide  on,  even  beyond  the  influence  of  time, 
and  in  an  hour’s  ramble  live  a  glorious  past  and  fu¬ 
ture.  To  describe  this  realm  of  the  mind,  boundless 
and  eternal  as  it  appears,  would  be  impossible,  except 
that  there  are  certain  conditions  in  life  which  lead 
the  mind  through  all  its  labyrinths,  certain  definite 
causes  which  must  produce  definite  results.  There 
is  a  spirit  in  us  which  arrays  the  thing  we  dote 
upon  with  colorings.  Our  Reverie  then  is  the  per- 

267 


268  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

sonification  of  ambitions,  of  thoughts,  and  imagina¬ 
tions. 

When  we  conceive  a  plan  which  we  hope  may  bring 
success,  how  often  in  the  hours  of  sleep  we  carry  out 
every  step  of  our  design.  The  mind  seizes  the  idea 
in  fondest  grasp,  examines  it  from  every  side,  and 
tells  us  it  cannot  fail.  We  follow  as  fancy  leads.  In 
imagination  we  toil  on  with  miraculous  strength  and 
vigor  and  most  remarkable  results,  until  we  reach 
the  height  of  our  desire.  All  is  plain  before  us  when 
we  sleep,  yet  when  next  we  meet  the  morning  light 
and  the  clear  plain  of  activity,  difficulties  unforeseen 
arise,  and  we  forget  the  means  by  which  we  found 
success. 

The  second  cause  of  involuntary  mental  action  is 
ambition.  Ambition  is  but  the  expression  of  that 
spirit  of  hopefulness  with  which  nature  has  endowed 
us  all.  It  is  the  spirit  that  says,  “I  can  and  I  will.” 
In  active  life  its  presence  cheers  us  and  urges  us  on  to 
greater  efforts.  But  during  the  hours  of  repose  it 
carries  us  away  to  ideas  and  results  impossible  of 
attainment  for  our  limited  powers,  and  leaves  us  only 
when  it  reaches  the  limit  of  our  imagination.  Though 
we  realize  the  impossibility  of  its  aims,  still  we  always 
feel  a  renewed  hope,  and  have  a  pleasant  anticipation 
of  some  approaching  good  fortune.  The  spirit  within 
us  is  stirred  and  calls  for  such  investigation  and  action 
as  will  mould  out  the  man. 

A  common  form  of  fanciful  thought  is  that  which 
arises  from  the  deep  consideration  of  some  subject 
just  before  retiring.  The  excited  mind  remains  ac¬ 
tive,  even  though  the  body  rests.  Free  from  re- 


THE  REALM  OF  REVERIE 


269 


straint,  it  still  moves  on  in  the  same  general  channel, 
and  often  conceives  ideas  unthought  of  before,  yet 
brilliant  in  expression  and  form.  Many  mature  per¬ 
sons  use  the  midnight  hours  to  grasp  some  hobby 
theme.  How  precious  to  them  is  that  period,  just 
before  repose,  when  the  body  sleeps,  but  the  mind, 
on  fire  with  deepest  thought,  soon  finds  expression 
for  its  deepest  purpose.  In  just  such  dreamy  moods 
many  a  man  has  found  most  sage  ideas,  poets  have 
written  the  sublimest  thoughts,  and  writers  caught 
the  theme  of  history. 

Imagination  is  still  another  form  of  Reverie.  It 
borrows  from  past  and  present  to  brighten  our  fu¬ 
tures,  and  gives  to  all  men  many  hours  of  pleasure. 
The  young,  by  its  aid,  ponder  future  hopes;  the  old 
people  find  delight  in  deeds  and  thoughts  of  days 
forever  flown.  How  often  we  see  that  far-away  ex¬ 
pression  creep  over  the  face  of  one  of  our  friends.  In 
spirit  he  wanders  in  the  land  of  thought,  following 
some  favorite  project.  Now  a  glimpse  of  the  realiza¬ 
tion  of  his  desire  brightens  his  features,  now  some 
thought  of  failure  overshadows  his  brow.  How  the 
old  people  love  to  sit  in  an  easy  chair  and  recall 
the  activity  of  the  past.  They  live  again  a  life,  but  a 
life  only  of  good  deeds  and  successful  career.  They 
rub  their  eyes  as  the  spell  breaks  and  come  back  to  us 
feeling  that  the  pleasant  hour  has  not  been  entirely 
wasted. 

These  are  some  of  the  mental  pleasures  of  our  life. 
Unceasingly  the  bright  horizon  of  hope  gilds  a 
cloudy  sky,  and  the  anticipation  of  some  future, 
which  may  be  even  now  within  reach,  urges  us  on. 


270 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


Now  the  ideas,  conceived  by  the  restless  mind,  as¬ 
tonish  us;  now  the  echoes  of  imagination,  as  we  are 
borne  along  on  its  tide,  delight  us  with  recollections  of 
hope.  Each  faculty  of  the  mind  lends  its  aid  to  prove 
that  old  proverb,  “Every  man  has  hopes,  as  each  his 
destiny.” 

Thus  as  time  flies,  thoughts  come  and  go,  some  in 
our  wakeful,  some  in  our  dreamy  hours,  but  we  must 
snatch  them  as  they  speed  along,  for  once  departed, 
ne’er  do  they  return.  There  lies  before  us  that  bound¬ 
less  realm  of  Reverie,  a  land  of  pleasure  and  enjoy¬ 
ment,  charming  us  with  thoughts  of  success  and 
triumph,  and  alluring  us  with  promises  of  delightful 
freedom  from  every  care.  Even  now  at  its  portal 
stands  Eternal  Fancy  arrayed  in  her  glittering, 
changeable  robes.  ’Tis  her  duty  to  invite  us  to 
enter;  it  is  our  privilege  to  accept  her  offer,  if  we  so 
desire. 


THE  DOOM  OF  MONARCHY 


THROUGH  mysterious  ways,  like  the  rushing 
of  mighty  waters,  the  principles  of  human 
brotherhood  flow  through  tne  channels  of  the 
concourses  of  men,  and  as  this  world  is  made  a  safe 
place  for  democracy,  we  hear  the  deep,  resounding 
echoes  of  the  last  call  sounding  tne  doom  of  mon¬ 
archy.  The  superstructure  of  republican  govern¬ 
ment,  founded  in  fraternalism  and  equality,  has  now 
reached  man  s  estate,  as  solidarity  and  strength  are 
gathered  by  united  peoples,  who  realize  that  their 
shackles  are  of  their  own  forging,  and  that  they  have 
within  themselves  the  power  to  resist  evil  and  estab¬ 
lish  good,  the  right  and  ability  to  consolidate  and  co¬ 
operate,  that  free  institutions  shall  not  perish  from 
the  earth.  In  the  United  States,  in  the  presidential 
message  of  December  2,  1823,  President  Monroe 
separated  America  forever  from  the  strife  and  turmoil 
©f  Europe  by  declaring  that  this  hemisphere  would 
henceforth  be  no  longer  a  field  for  European  coloni¬ 
zation  and  exploitation.  The  rulers  of  Europe  saw 
the  perils  to  their  prestige  and  autocracy,  but  were 
powerless  to  resist  united  peoples,  and  resigned  North 
and  South  America  to  popular  rule.  True,  in  our 
life-and-death  struggle  for  unity  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion,  Napoleon  III  succeeded  in  setting  up  in 
Mexico  a  monarchy  under  Maximilian,  but  our  Na- 

271 


272 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

tion  never  recognized  Maximilian,  and  the  Republic 
of  Mexico  soon  revived,  when  we  insisted  upon  the 
withdrawal  of  European  armies  from  American  soil. 

Monarchy  decreases  in  power,  prestige,  and  author¬ 
ity,  as  the  average  intelligence  and  patriotism  of  a 
self-developing  people  increase,  and  adopts  a  self- 
sacrificing  attitude  toward  political  privileges.  Mon¬ 
archy  has  held  its  field  of  operation  immune  from 
attack,  so  long  as  it  could  absorb  or  destroy  every 
intelligent  reformer  and  popular  leader  of  thought 
and  action  whom  it  could  not  compel  to  bow  the  knee 
to  Baal,  but  when  the  power  to  decree  the  death  or 
exile  of  political  enemies  and  hostile  leaders  was  lost, 
monarchy  could  no  longer  defend  itself  against  in¬ 
sidious  foes,  and  even  from  far  Siberia  the  world 
was  publicly  shamed  by  the  appeals  of  outraged, 
exiled  students  whose  only  crime  was  to  attempt  to 
develop  true  social  progress  under  a  monarchical 
regime.  And  thus  the  materialism  of  the  past  has 
gradually  merged  into  a  world- wide  social  revolution, 
as  sovereign  peoples  actually  control  entire  govern¬ 
ment  resources,  and  place  popularly  elected  rulers  in 
authority  to  mould  their  destiny. 

The  mere  act  of  revolution,  however, is  but  the  out¬ 
ward  cloak  of  the  progress  and  growth  of  nations  and 
individuals,  which  has  accomplished  such  far-reach¬ 
ing  results.  Behind  all  this  is  the  increase  of  the 
average  intelligence  and  personal  liberty  of  men,  and 
the  call  of  the  wild  to  Liberty,  Equality,  and  Fra¬ 
ternity.  Before  it  is  yet  a  broader  fraternalism, 
whose  fields  to-day  we  investigate  and  whose  air  we 
breathe  only  in  theory,  where  no  longer  will  demo- 


THE  DOOM  OF  MONARCHY 


273 


cratic  society  be  organized  to  enrich  men  in  money, 
but  rather  in  talents,  in  service,  and  in  honor.  As 
the  young  are  educated  to  the  principle  that  the  most 
laudable  citizen  is  he  who  intelligently  assumes  and 
skilfully  cares  for  the  greatest  responsibilities;  as 
the  glory  of  labor  is  recognized;  as  truth  is  separated 
from  falsehood,  we  will  attain  a  new  republicanism, 
where  our  patriotism  will  not  evaporate  in  forensic 
oratory,  but  every  citizen  will  strive  to  outdo  his 
fellow  men  in  service  to  man.  There  is  no  charity 
in  a  sharp  business  deal,  where  the  unwary  are 
robbed,  and  those  who  plan  intrigue  and  evasion  of 
law  enrich  themselves  and  retire  to  a  lair  of  infamy 
and  oblivion.  Wealth  is  a  curse  to  such  men,  for 
while  money  may  be  a  measure  of  service,  an  instru¬ 
ment  of  service,  an  insignia  of  service,  it  is  not,  nor 
can  it  ever  be,  in  any  sense  of  the  word,  the  summum 
bonum  of  life.  So  under  the  rule  of  the  monarch,  even 
though  power  and  honor  may  be  the  insignia  of 
service,  there  is  no  honor  when  a  dynasty  holds  to 
its  members  unearned  robes  of  State,  for  democracy 
decrees  service  the  measure  of  honor  among  men. 

Every  thinking  man,  according  to  his  training, 
associates,  and  environment  develops  opinions,  a 
consciousness  of  right  and  wrong,  and  true  loyalty  to 
ideals  and  convictions.  The  growth  of  these  opinions 
and  ideals  is  not  merely  evolutionary  but  involuntary, 
local,  and  gradually  subject  to  change,  provided  the 
subject  still  retains  the  power  of  reasoning  thought. 
The  mind  of  a  child  is  elastic  and  open  to  training 
instruction  and  reason,  whereas  the  mind  of  a  ma¬ 
tured  person  is  seldom  open  to  argument,  and  in  this 


274 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


condition,  monarchy  entrenched  its  authority,  for, 
once  being  established  as  a  necessary  guide  and  cen¬ 
tral  governing  prerogative  to  a  people,  independent 
thought  was  always  curtailed,  for  virtue  wore  the 
purple  robe.  And  there  is  a  virtue  of  oligarchy  and 
autocracy  as  well  as  of  democracy,  for  virtue  is  a 
relative  word,  and  as  we  broaden  in  our  endeavors 
to  see  the  light  of  truth,  we  will  find  ever-new  phases 
of  social  privileges  and  duties,  devolving  upon  every 
man,  woman,  and  child,  so  that  each  should  mean¬ 
while  patiently  run  the  paths  of  service  before  us, 
content  to  await  the  evolution  of  ideals. 

As  monarchy  held  sway  by  the  development  of 
each  individual  unit  annexing  his  talent  to  its  cen¬ 
tral  power,  so  democracy  must  increase  among  the 
people  by  affording  recognition  to  talent  and  genius, 
wherever  they  appear.  Men  must  sink  all  political 
and  social  differences  under  a  republican  regime  and 
be  judged,  classified,  and  approved  for  character,  for 
wisdom,  for  their  training,  and  for  efficiency,  capabil¬ 
ity,  and  deeds  of  service.  Men  detest  that  selfish, 
domineering  military  spirit  which  sinks  the  national 
existence  into  the  abyss  of  military  caste  and  domi¬ 
nates  the  passions  of  men  by  the  rule  of  the  sword. 
But  if  militarism  could  be  restrained  and  confined  to 
its  friends,  and  lands  and  peoples  under  its  blight  be 
left  to  rot  in  their  degradation,  the  world  could  ignore 
this  evil;  but  never  can  the  military  be  at  rest,  for  its 
very  life  depends  upon  the  confiscation  of  the  prop¬ 
erty  of  honest  toilers,  and  when  once  a  military  caste 
is  established,  all  citizens  seek  this  life  of  ease  and 
decoration,  and  those  who  fail  to  attain  its  ranks,  of 


THE  DOOM  OF  MONARCHY  27 5 

necessity  become  serfs  and  underlings.  As  monarchy 
is  the  natural  ally  and  form  of  militarism  and  ma¬ 
terialism,  so  democracy  is  the  divergent  antithesis, 
established  upon  the  rights  of  all  men  to  organize  in 
equality  and  brotherhood.  It  is  easy  for  an  armored 
car  to  devastate  fields  of  grain,  to  destroy  thousands 
of  unarmed,  peaceful  men,  women,  and  children,  to 
destroy  the  security  of  life,  rob  men  of  all  they  pos¬ 
sess,  and  reduce  them  to  slavery  and  serfdom,  but  the 
power  of  mighty  arms  is  becoming  mighty  unpopular 
to-day  as  we  speak  in  a  soft  whisper  to  the  iron-clad, 
stern- visaged,  gory  monarch,  the  theme  of  a  brother¬ 
hood  of  high  and  low,  rich  and  poor,  bond  and  free,  and 
in  shame  he  hides  his  face  behind  screens  of  hardened 
soldiery,  for  none  can  answer  the  riddle  of  the  rights 
of  man;  and  monarchy  totters,  and  kings  and  em¬ 
perors  seek  refuge  from  the  consuming  fire  of  the 
wrath  of  the  blood  of  innocents  destroyed  by  the  lust 
for  power.  Universal  war  to  gain  universal  peace, 
devastation  and  destruction  to  shackle  forever  the 
mighty  forces  of  oppression  everywhere,  are  the 
sacrifices  required  of  every  free  people,  that  this 
world  shall  be  made  a  safe  place  for  the  engendering, 
nourishment,  and  growth  of  free  institutions. 

Monarchy  has  proven  itself  a  moral  pestilence,  has 
disgraced  its  adherents  before  all  the  world,  has 
proved  itself  undeserving  of  even  temporary  tolera¬ 
tion.  As  we  seize  and  imprison  the  criminal,  who, 
with  bomb  or  weapon,  seeks  to  destroy  property  and 
life,  his  mental  faculties  deranged  by  inborn  hate  and 
degradation,  so  must  we  deal  with  monarchy,  which 
conspires  with  the  armed  forces  of  military  caste, 


276 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


trained  and  educated  to  bloodshed  and  terror,  their 
hearts  hardened  and  blind  to  sympathy,  truth,  and 
righteousness,  ready  to  design  and  command  every 
power  of  destruction,  every  poisoning  and  wasting 
influence  and  passion  among  men,  employing  every 
art  of  man  in  destroying  the  arts  of  men,  and  in  the 
destructions  of  men  themselves.  This  consuming 
fire  among  nations  must  be  quenched,  that  men  may 
come  out  from  the  grimy  clouds  of  darkness,  cease  to 
sing  the  song  of  hate,  and  listen  to  the  sweet  com¬ 
mand  of  peace.  Again  the  dull  beating  of  heavy 
hearts  quickens  the  sublimity  of  the  splendid  sym¬ 
pathy  of  lofty  sentiments  of  a  universal  brotherhood, 
to  which  even  the  haters  of  men,  although  hardened 
and  shocked  almost  beyond  redemption,  are  wel¬ 
comed  as  brothers.  The  famished  souls  pant  to 
undo  the  wrongs  against  humanity  by  increasing 
blessings  and  usefulness  to  a  weary  world.  The 
little  birds  sweetly  warble  and  the  immense,  harmo¬ 
nious  universe  declares  that  thought  and  service  were 
meant  for  the  whole  world,  and  none  are  lost  in  the 
great  design  of  the  destiny  of  the  race.  There  is  a 
royal  blush  to  the  blush  of  love,  a  princely  sublimity 
to  the  sentiments  of  brotherhood,  a  noble  beauty 
to  the  universal  equality  of  men  that  transcends 
power,  station  in  life,  and  roles  of  conquest.  And 
thus  monarchy  falls;  the  rule  of  the  many  transcends 
the  power  of  military  caste,  and  the  Emperor  steps 
down  from  his  throne,  and  becomes  the  peer  of  the 
humblest  citizen,  and  to  him  the  power  to  rule  is 
denied  except  he  rise  to  office  by  the  acclamation 
and  consent  of  a  sovereign  people. 


INDIVIDUAL  FORCES 


SOCIETY  is  the  association  of  individuals  in 
development,  and  government  is  the  associa¬ 
tion  of  individuals  in  organization.  The 
hope  of  civilization  rests  upon  the  constant  upward 
evolution  of  social  and  industrial  efforts  of  men  in 
their  self-development;  and  the  weave  of  the  entire 
fabric  depends  primarily  upon  the  freedom  of  each 
individual  to  develop  his  personal  power,  skill,  and 
temperament,  along  lines  of  his  best  adaptability  to 
social  service.  We  must  have  an  infinite  variety  of 
individual  development,  and  yet  through  govern¬ 
mental  adjustment,  constantly  fit  every  individual 
into  his  proper  sphere  of  action  in  the  organized 
industrial  society.  The  individuals  are  the  woven 
threads,  and  the  government  is  perfect  and  strong  as 
every  individual  is  properly  trained  and  developed, 
so  that  every  individual  weakness  is  a  weakness  in 
the  organization.  Here  is  where  all  socialism  misses 
the  mark,  having  the  right  ends  in  view,  co-operation, 
good-will,  and  equality  of  all,  without  the  proper 
means  to  the  ends,  which  must  be  the  individual 
development  of  each  citizen  as  a  manly  force,  to  be 
one  of  the  units  of  the  organization,  with  well-defined 
powers  of  initiating  action,  and  accomplishing  suc¬ 
cessful  final  results. 

Individual  forces  must  be  organized  firstly  for  self- 

277 


278 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


development,  and  secondly,  for  communal  or  co¬ 
operative  organization,  to  accomplish  the  needful 
equalization  of  conditions.  In  organization  for  self¬ 
development,  every  individual,  under  our  constitu¬ 
tion,  is  entitled  to  privacy  of  home  life,  and  personal 
independence  of  thought  and  methods  of  work,  for 
organized  government  can  always  present  to  men 
ultimate  objectives  and  ideals,  but  must  never  insist 
upon  individual  subjection  to  set  rules  and  regulations 
by  which  to  attain  these  results.  The  individual 
habits,  home  life,  dress,  customs,  and  conscience  of 
the  liberty-loving,  self-developing  individual  are  inci¬ 
dents  of  his  freedom  of  choice,  freedom  to  develop 
public-spirited  patriotism,  hobbies,  and  talents,  and 
his  freedom  to  enjoy  privacy  in  his  personal  life. 
Beyond  this  self-development  is  the  social  organiza¬ 
tion.  Here  we  find  the  forces  of  adaptation  of 
individual  talents  and  training  to  social  needs,  so  as 
to  supply  to  society  the  individual  forces  needed 
to  develop  every  proper  field  of  human  activity. 
There  is  no  fundamental  wrong  doing  in  monopoly, 
and  men  cannot  harm  the  state  in  the  reaping,  segre¬ 
gation  of,  or  investing  of  profits,  no  matter  how  great 
or  ill-deserved  they  be.  The  harm  arises  only  from 
the  spending  of  accumulated  profits  in  profligacy, 
waste,  licentiousness,  and  pleasure.  Therefore,  or¬ 
ganized  society  needs  not  so  much  to  curb  profits — for 
profits  are  a  measure  of  success  in  competitive  fields, 
and  stimulate  men  to  desirable  active  service,  as 
prizes  to  the  winners — as  to  curb  idleness,  luxury, 
ease,  and  indolence,  to  keep  every  citizen  actively 
employed  in  service  and  labor. 


INDIVIDUAL  FORCES 


279 


The  toil  of  every  individual  man  is  an  asset  of  our 
organized  community,  for  every  time  one  individual 
quits  work,  the  total  workers  and  resultant  products 
are  reduced  one  unit,  and  every  reaper  coming 
into  the  harvest  field  increases  by  one  both  the  ele¬ 
ments  of  serviceable  units  and  the  harvests  garnered. 
Therefore,  here  are  three]  elements  of  community 
success :  individual  efficiency,  individual  activity,  and 
co-operative  service,  to  develop  and  utilize  the  in¬ 
dividual  forces  of  citizen  units,  and  combine  them 
into  a  unity  of  representative  thought  and  action, 
which  we  call  an  established  government.  And  the 
true  function  of  organization  in  government  is  to 
remove  every  unjust  discrimination  and  every  point 
of  friction  between  its  units,  so  as  to  direct  the  chan¬ 
nels  of  individual  industry  and  effort  into  avenues  of 
public  welfare,  where  the  supply  shall  fill  every  de¬ 
mand,  and  the  opportunity  be  given  to,  and  the  obli¬ 
gation  enforced  upon  every  citizen  to  render  to  his 
native  land  efficient  service,  and  use  every  well-devel¬ 
oped  personal  talent  in  such  social  and  industrial 
activities  as  accomplish  the  greatest  good  for  the 
greatest  number. 


THE  PROFIT  MARGIN 


THE  principles  of  good  business  are  always  new, 
yet  old  as  the  dealings  of  men  with  men.  In 
business  there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun, 
for  men  have  made  and  lost  money  for  ages,  and 
every  man  enters  his  business,  his  profession,  or  his 
life  work,  as  at  least  a  beneficial  occupation.  Some 
men  value  money  only  as  a  means  of  livelihood,  the 
fountain  of  good  deeds;  others  seek  it  to  hoard  and  be¬ 
queath  to  future  generations,  to  establish  the  family 
name.  But  whatever  the  alternative,  we  measure 
business  success  or  failure  by  profit  or  loss,  in  the 
eyes  of  the  worldly  wise.  In  managing  business, 
no  element  of  chance  can  fairly  enter  in,  but  the  sell¬ 
ing  price  of  manufactured  articles  can  be  determined 
by  adding  the  cost  of  raw  materials,  the  cost  of  pro¬ 
duction  and  the  fair  profits.  If  we  desire  socialism, 
let  it  be  in  form  of  a  socialism  of  profits,  that  no 
business  enterprise  shall  cause  a  direct  loss.  The 
only  difficulty  of  such  an  experiment  is  that  men 
would  lose  immediately  shrewdness  in  bargain  and 
in  production.  We  need  to  make  the  profits  com¬ 
mensurate  with  the  demand  for  the  finished  article, 
so  that  the  margin  of  profit  measures  the  availability 
of  the  field  for  new  business.  Too  much  system  not 
only  destroys  system  but  also  ruins  production,  for 
there  is  no  secret  to  good  business,  and  what  we  need 

280 


THE  PROFIT  MARGIN 


281 


is  an  industrial  organization  established  along  lines 
of  open  competition  in  'profit  margin. 

This  leaves  no  room  for  unfair  practices  and  in¬ 
ferior  goods,  as  it  is  a  national  objective  to  protect 
our  business  men,  and  see  that  every  one  of  them 
makes  a  fair  margin  of  profit,  for  every  bankruptcy 
is  much  more  a  serious  loss  to  the  community  than 
to  the  bankrupt.  The  bankrupt  loses  a  heavily 
bonded  business  and  is  freed  from  all  debts  and  obli¬ 
gations,  while  the  gap  in  the  business  life  of  the  com¬ 
munity,  the  shaken  confidence  of  business  men,  the 
instability  of  the  produce  market,  caused  by  the 
short  sacrifice  sales  of  the  auctioneer,  the  temptation 
of  middlemen  to  buy  and  sell  for  spectacular  profits 
rather  than  restrict  their  energies  to  honest  produc¬ 
tion,  all  reflect  on  the  business  community  and  create 
unstable  and  unsettled  conditions.  Therefore  to 
maintain  proper  industrial  relations,  we  need  estab¬ 
lished  profit  margins  firstly,  and  secondly,  markets 
and  advantages  of  distribution,  capable  of  absorbing 
all  products,  so  as  to  avoid  over-production  in  any 
line.  We  can  readily  see  that  business  is  in  the  first 
place  simple,  and  in  the  second  place  business,  and  all 
that  is  more  than  this  is  harmful,  for  the  object  is 
simply  to  take  the  manufactured  articles  to  the  cen¬ 
tres  of  distribution  at  predetermined  profit  margin, 
and  render  to  the  business  man  a  fair  profit,  and  to 
employees  fair  wages. 

The  great  aim  of  business  is  to  secure  the  most 
consistent  development,  and  we  have  been  especially 
superficial  in  educational  lines,  for  it  is  an  injustice 
to  pupils  in  our  public  schools,  to  leave  their  life 


£82 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


training  entirely  to  teachers,  who  are  sublimely 
ignorant  of  every  problem  of  life,  industry  and  busi¬ 
ness,  nourished  in  calm  protection  against  every  dis¬ 
comfort  and  trial.  Rather  let  men  who  have  wea¬ 
thered  the  storms  of  life  teach  young  men  from 
their  storehouses  of  experience,  and  place  our  young 
ladies  under  the  tutelage  of  women,  who  know  that 
life  is  real  and  earnest.  Efficiency  breeds  efficiency, 
service  breeds  service,  and  knowledge  from  experience 
has  a  peculiar  assurance  of  reality  and  worth. 
Worthy  men  must  be  trained  by  worthy  men;  life  is 
more  than  sport  and  knowledge,  and  a  study  of  life 
and  things  as  they  are,  far  transcends  in  importance 
any  study  of  how  things  ought  to  be.  The  most 
important  element  of  business  is  persistent  effort 
and  constant  industry,  and  do  we  emphasize  this 
principle  in  our  public  schools?  Our  scholars  turn 
from  opinion  to  opinion,  and  await  the  hour  when 
they  will  lead  men,  without  the  least  understanding 
of  how  or  to  what  they  will  lead.  Nothing  resists  per¬ 
sistent  efforts,  and  that  is  how  faith  removes  moun¬ 
tains;  but  thought  without  action  is  as  dead  as  faith 
without  works,  and  have  we  not  emphasized  too 
highly,  in  our  public  schools,  thought  without  action, 
information  without  application,  knowledge  without 
wisdom?  Persistent  effort  has  tunneled  under  rivers, 
measured  heights  and  depths,  navigated  every  sea, 
and  explored  every  land.  The  student  who  learns 
life  is  he  who  toils  while  others  attend  games,  he  who 
reads  to  discover  knowledge  of  the  arts  of  men,  he 
who  takes  notes  of  sermons  and  clippings  from  maga¬ 
zines,  and  stores  up  for  the  future  brilliant  deeds. 


THE  PROFIT  MARGIN 


283 


As  a  grindstone  sharpens  an  axe,  so  reading  should 
sharpen  the  intellect;  so  exercise  should  strengthen 
the  muscles,  so  experience  should  prepare  for  business 
success.  Master  something  and  conquer  by  steady, 
persevering  effort,  despising  trickery  and  fraud.  Do 
we  teach  our  youth  the  honor  of  earning  success? 
Encourage  self-reliance,  manliness,  initiative,  inde¬ 
pendent  action.  Life  is  no  idle  game,  no  stage  where 
we  amuse,  not  a  splendid  delusion,  but  a  stern  reality, 
where  life  begets  life,  and  earnest,  applied  energy  in¬ 
creases  business  results.  Specialists  are  needed 
everywhere,  men  who  know  how  to  do  something, 
men  who  have  mastered  every  detail  of  their  trade 
or  profession,  men  who  have  learned  system,  obe¬ 
dience  and  hard  work. 

In  caring  for  the  nation’s  business  we  place  upon 
business  managers  the  risk  of  failure,  to  eliminate 
the  inefficient,  so  as  to  keep  the  control  of  productive 
forces  in  the  hands  of  men  of  superior  personal 
ability.  Business  success  depends  upon  able  man¬ 
agement,  efficient  labor,  and  good  judgment  in  pur¬ 
chasing  materials  and  selling  products.  Special  tem¬ 
porary  profits  accrue  to  those  who  patent  inventions 
or  improve  business  methods,  and  it  is  better  for  the 
trade  to  give  the  ingenious  inventor  the  larger  profit 
margin,  than  to  urge  him  to  lower  the  sale  price, 
commensurate  with  decreased  productive  cost,  and 
so  drive  competitors  from  business.  Rather  the  ef¬ 
fect  is  to  force  competitors  to  purchase  the  patent 
rights,  and  then  sale  prices  can  be  lowered  to  con¬ 
form  with  a  reasonable  profit  margin,  allowing  for  the 
value  of  the  rights  patent.  The  supply  both  of  labor 


284 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


and  raw  materials  and  the  market  of  consumption  do 
not  rapidly  change  or  shift,  except  as  exceptional  cir¬ 
cumstances  interrupt  the  regular  course  of  business, 
and  in  many  instances,  profit-sharing  with  employees, 
and  the  methods  of  coupon  redemption  with  con¬ 
sumers,  have  produced  harmony  and  good-will.  But 
in  general  such  methods  are  harmful,  for  with  con¬ 
sumers,  they  detract  trade  from  the  uniform  average 
into  special  channels,  and  with  employees,  dissatis¬ 
faction  is  created,  because  the  margin  of  extra  profit 
is  variable,  depending  upon  the  good  management 
of  the  employer,  and  whereas,  while  wages  are  high, 
increased  exertion  may  result,  when  wages  are  low¬ 
ered,  the  men  are  quick  to  blame  the  management. 
Also  systems  of  progressive  or  profit  margin  wages 
cannot  conform  with  regular  employment  rates,  and 
dissatisfaction  is  aroused  either  with  the  preferred 
labor,  or  with  labor  similarly  employed  elsewhere,  so 
that  in  the  long  run  simple,  plain  business  methods 
bring  the  best  results. 

Government  ownership  of  special  business  service 
lines  is  not  an  impossibility  where  the  development 
of  the  field  is  permanent,  so  that  a  complete  monopoly 
is  established,  and  the  nature  of  the  service  is  na¬ 
tional,  so  as  to  create  a  condition  where  standard 
prices  or  rates  are  beneficial.  There  are  insur¬ 
mountable  difficulties  in  organization  and  manage¬ 
ment  of  ordinary  business  by  government  ownership, 
for  individual  enterprise  and  freedom  of  management 
and  detail  in  the  control  of  men,  in  the  control  of 
markets,  of  supply  and  demand,  in  investing  capital 
in  new  fields  of  operation,  and  in  new  plants  of  indus- 


THE  PROFIT  MARGIN 


m 


try,  are  essentially  lost  in  government  ownership. 
Initiative  must  spring  from  a  struggle  to  succeed, 
and  unless  the  monopoly  is  such  that  there  is  no  need 
for  initiative — as  in  telegraph  lines,  railroads,  post 
office,  and  army  and  navy  affairs,  where  the  national 
monopoly  is  already  complete,  or  in  cases  of  patent 
rights,  copyrights,  and  national  foreign  markets, 
where  the  initiative  is  provided  in  the  regular  fields 
of  individual  development — government  ownership 
cannot  even  be  considered  as  remotely  advisable. 
Socialism  does  not  reckon  with  the  problem  pre¬ 
sented  by  diversity  of  occupation  that  no  man  will 
choose  to  scrub  decks  when  the  alternative  is  to  wear 
the  uniform  of  rank,  and  to  force  men  to  work  by 
compulsion  is  a  reversion  to  slavery.  To  divide 
men  into  graded  classes  is  contrary  to  the  very  es¬ 
sence  of  socialism,  which  rightly  bars  caste,  so  that 
we  are  forced  back  to  the  law  of  individual  advance¬ 
ment  according  to  efficiency  and  merit.  We  are 
forced  to  establish  grades  of  employment  according 
to  talent  and  ability  of  men,  and  if  any  equalization 
at  all  can  be  considered  it  must  be  an  equality  of 
wages  for  like  grades  of  work. 

But  the  greatest  difficulty  would  appear  in  the 
impossibility  of  eliminating  incompetent  leaders,  for 
great  masses  of  people  under  a  socialistic  rule  would 
never  choose  leaders  for  competency,  knowledge,  or 
fitness,  but  solely  for  social  standing  and  popularity. 
We  find  this  weakness  in  politics  to-day,  for  politi¬ 
cians  immediately  discover  that  to  maintain  popular 
good-will  is  the  great  keynote  of  success,  and  they 
all  scurry  around  to  find  competent  assistants  to  do 


286 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  work,  while  they  study  every  fickle  frailty  of 
their  constituents.  Then  supply  and  demand  must 
be  adjusted  to  changing  conditions,  and  who  would 
decree  the  change  and  how  would  decrees  be  en¬ 
forced?  We  are  therefore  driven  to  the  conclusion 
that  all  such  rambling  Utopian  plans  are  purely 
visionary  and  impracticable,  and  people  find  in  pri¬ 
vate  business  the  necessary  initiative  and  incentive 
to  genius,  toil,  and  efficiency,  combined  with  full 
freedom  for  experimentation  and  individual  develop¬ 
ment. 

Society  has  the  right  to  regulate  the  profit  margin 
if  necessary,  to  furnish  a  satisfactory  supply  of  a 
given  commodity  at  a  reasonable  price.  The  control 
over  supply  and  production  cannot  be  abused  to  the 
extent  of  depriving  the  sovereign  people  of  the  neces¬ 
sities  or  luxuries  of  life,  neither  can  competition  be 
suppressed  by  the  economic  forces  of  wealth,  so  as  to 
destroy  the  pressure  of  new  capital  upon  established 
industry.  But  we  need  not  fear  permanent  results 
from  every  temporary  crisis.  When  we  fear  that 
monopolies  will  corner  all  the  wealth  of  the  nation, 
the  question  is  what  will  they  do  with  wealth  when 
they  get  it.  Re-invest  it  in  what?  They  cannot  eat 
it;  they  can  get  no  benefit  from  accumulated  wealth, 
except  as  it  is  returned  to  fields  of  industrial  activity 
and  used  to  guide  labor  to  achievement.  When  all 
prices  rise,  wages  rise,  and  accumulated  wealth  from 
profits  re-enters  the  field  constantly  to  destroy  the 
accumulated  wealth  there  invested.  This  at  once 
lowers  interest  rates,  and  increases  the  cost  of  raw 
materials,  so  that  in  proportion  to  the  extent  that 


THE  PROFIT  MARGIN  287 

wealth  is  accumulated,  its  power  is  lost.  Real  value 
can  be  measured  only  in  merchandise  and  com¬ 
modities,  in  human  efficiency  and  intelligence,  for 
money  is  merely  a  variable  standard  of  measure,  so 
that  all  popular  fears  of  monopoly,  of  a  rule  by  in¬ 
vested  capital,  and  the  subjugation  of  democracy  to 
oligarchy,  are  unfounded  and  impossibly  remote,  and 
every  such  action  bears  within  itself  the  seeds  of  re¬ 
actionary  forces,  whereunder  individualism  again 
conquers,  and  the  sovereignty  reverts  to  its  source. 
Every  undeveloped  industry  needs  protection  to  per¬ 
mit  the  progressive  self-reliance  of  the  people  to 
assert  itself,  to  diversify  industry  and  utilize  natural 
resources.  There  is  no  economic  loss  in  developing 
the  initial  impulse  for  manufacturing,  commerce, 
agriculture,  fisheries,  and  mining,  but,  in  reality, 
losses  come  in  the  stagnation  of  our  people  in  anti¬ 
quated  lines,  where  they  cannot  see  either  how  to 
manage  better  or  how  to  shift  to  new  fields.  We 
must  have  all  necessary  raw  materials  either  by  pro¬ 
duction  or  importation,  preferably  by  both  methods, 
and  to  say  we  must  withdraw  capital  from  all  indus¬ 
tries  not  self-sustaining  is  fundamentally  wrong.  If 
the  temporary  accumulation  of  hoarded  money  were 
the  object  of  national  life,  granted  that,  we  can  ruin 
all  our  finer  fields  of  production,  upon  which  our 
future  expansions  must  depend,  in  a  great  drive  to 
concentrate  our  production  where  immediate  profit 
is  highest.  But  economic  forces  would  then  im¬ 
mediately  shift  again  and  a  flooded  market  for  these 
favored  products  would  lower  prices  and  wipe  out 
all  the  profit  margin.  So  we  must  confess  that  ex- 


288 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


perience  is  the  best  teacher,  and  we  must  retain  the 
principle  of  private  management  of  business  and 
competitive  labor,  to  accomplish  the  greatest  benefits 
to  society,  in  the  development  of  efficient  individual¬ 
ism  for  every  laborer,  and  a  fair  margin  of  profit  for 
every  capitalist. 


THE  MEASURE  OF  COMPETENCE 

THE  recognition  of  Merit  is  the  true  founda¬ 
tion  stone  of  Democracy,  for  where  merit  is 
esteemed,  an  aristocracy  is  established  from 
the  people.  The  only  variable  number  of  the  equa¬ 
tion  is  the  measure  of  merit,  and  by  making  the 
measure  of  merit  efficient  capability  for  service,  we 
solve  the  problem  of  establishing  successful  democ¬ 
racy.  The  popular  remedy  for  all  ills  is  legislation, 
which  in  effect,  like  the  patent  medicines  introduced 
by  quack  doctors,  to  a  very  strong  constitution  does 
little  harm,  and  the  United  States  may  well  be  said 
to  have  a  very  strong  Constitution.  But  the  real 
foundation  of  democratic  merit  is  not  in  enacted 
statutory  law,  but  in  the  great  fabric  of  common  law 
and  equity  law,  built  up  outside  of  legislative  control 
and  exemplified  in  the  fundamental  tenets  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  Personal  liberty 
seeks  its  natural  level,  which  is  the  greatest  liberty 
each  can  enjoy  commensurate  with  the  welfare  of  all, 
and  the  statutory  law  expresses  temporary  and  gen¬ 
erally  local  determinations  and  emotions  of  a  self- 
governing  people.  In  monarchy  individual  freedom 
is  menaced  from  above,  but  in  republics  the  dangers 
of  abuse  of  power  comes  likewise  from  the  source  of 
power,  from  the  sovereign  people. 

The  average  citizen  never  studies  political  prob- 

289 


290 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


lems,  although  he  does  give  strict  attention  to  the 
party  campaigns,  but  his  denunciation  or  applause  of 
his  party  is  given  strictly  in  accordance  with  the  sup¬ 
posed  personal  benefits  accruing  to  the  friends  of  the 
local  organization.  Therefore,  we  see  locality  op¬ 
posing  locality  and  state  opposing  state,  but  to  a 
mind  of  broader  view  these  forces  are  merely  active 
and  retroactive,  contrifugal  and  centripetal  forces, 
acting  upon  the  moving  units. 

In  our  own  Republic  there  have  arisen  three  great 
popular  antagonisms,  all  of  which  are  strictly  un¬ 
democratic,  from  the  standpoint  of  the  rule  of  merit; 
these  are:  hostility  to  the  military  and  police  powers, 
hostility  to  corporate  organizations  of  wealth  and 
industry,  and  hostility  to  the  judiciary  and  those  in 
authority.  Will  we  not  admit  that  we  have  in  our 
free  institutions  the  summum  bonum  of  righteous 
rule,  and  that  no  government  can  under  any  possible 
circumstances  be  successful  unless  founded  upon 
these  same  free  institutions?  Men  become  infatuated 
with  thoughts  divergent  from  our  liberty,  because  of 
the  divergency,  and  not  because  of  the  independence 
and  freedom  from  restraint,  as  declared  in  principles 
of  socialism  and  anarchy.  To  those  whose  reasoning 
power  is  intact,  the  same  fundamental  principles 
upon  which  we  have  founded  our  liberties  are  re¬ 
deified  under  these  nomens,  with  just  as  sweet  a 
savor,  while  those  to  whom  reasoning  power  is  lost, 
wander  oftentimes  in  a  maze  of  unattainable  ideals, 
because  they  have  mentally  separated  mankind  from 
the  human.  This  is  our  democratic  task  to  bring 
the  nation  back  to  earth,  to  learn  husbandry,  com- 


THE  MEASURE  OF  COMPETENCE  291 

merce,  invention,  and  skill  in  arts  and  science,  all  for 
man’s  temporal  welfare,  for  even  a  cup  of  cold  water 
given  to  a  thirsty  traveller  is  greater  than  the  most 
enrapturing  eulogy  of  the  dead. 

In  this  changing  order  of  the  nation  we  are  retrac¬ 
ing  our  steps  awhile  to  view  again  beautiful  fields  of 
grain,  herds  of  grazing  cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills, 
gardens  green  with  vegetation,  bays  teeming  with  the 
white  wings  of  commerce,  and  shores  throbbing  with 
the  roar  of  machinery.  With  a  democracy,  the  mili¬ 
tary  machine  and  police  force  mean  the  preservation 
of  systems  ol  order  and  organization,  where  each  citi¬ 
zen  holds  his  own  niche  and  toils  as  part  of  a  com¬ 
monwealth  of  industrious  men.  The  corporate  or¬ 
ganizations  of  wealth  and  industry  are  not  organized 
to  coerce  and  drive  men  to  hardship  and  oppression, 
but  to  arrange  some  system  of  progress,  so  that  com¬ 
petition  shall  be  only  of  efficiency  in  process  and  ap¬ 
plication,  and  shall  not  be  degraded  to  an  efficiency 
in  destruction  of  competitors.  There  is  no  virtue 
in  cut-throat  practices,  either  for  those  at  war  or  for 
those  at  peace,  and  the  sooner  the  benefits  of  a  sane, 
monopolistic  control  are  recognized,  the  greater  will 
be  the  accumulated  prosperity  of  America.  Abuse 
of  power  can  only  be  temporary  in  a  nation  such  as 
ours,  and  with  patience  we  must  respect  and  obey 
men  of  learning  and  character,,  who,  in  their  judgment 
over  disputes,  strive  to  reach  fair,  unbiased  decisions. 
If  local  public  opinion  applies  unfair  pressure  to 
influence  the  independence  of  courts  and  juries,  the 
opposition  wi  1  likewise  attempt  to  apply  undue  in¬ 
fluence,  and  the  battle  become  one  of  mental  forces. 


292 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


armed  with  crime  and  evasion  of  law.  The  obvious 
necessity  of  impartial,  incorruptible  judges  needs  no 
argument,  for  it  is  absolutely  essential  to  true  democ¬ 
racy.  How  important  then  that  those  in  authority 
have  strict  obedience  and  respect,  and  if  lawyers 
obscure  justice,  restrain  them  rather  than,  under  any 
imaginable  circumstances,  use  forces  of  coercion  to 
make  courts  of  interpretation  subservient  to  popular 
prejudice  and  local  temporary  notions  of  right  and 
wrong. 

In  subjecting  a  people  to  law  and  order,  great  tact 
is  needed,  and  only  by  thorough  discussion,  and  more 
often  by  delay  until  passions  cool,  can  decisions  be 
rendered  and  justice  enforced.  Rules  and  usages  of 
business  transcend  statutory  law,  which  is  not  made 
to  destroy  but  to  uplift,  improve,  increase,  and  pro¬ 
tect  business,  individual  rights,  and  privilege.  Busi¬ 
ness  development  and  growth  are  the  result  of  experi¬ 
ment  and  struggle,  and  although  enterprise  is  impa¬ 
tient  of  control,  statutory  law  must  be  a  law  of  re¬ 
striction  and  protection  in  nearly  every  instance,  for 
contrary  laws  are  not  needed — law  being  as  oil  upon 
the  waters,  to  reduce  the  angry  waves  of  storm,  but 
performs  no  service  upon  stagnant  lakes — except  to 
destroy  the  creatures,  developed  in  calm,  prosperous 
seasons,  to  prey  upon  accumulated  wealth.  We  must 
have  control  and  counter  control,  checks  and  ad¬ 
vances,  successes  and  defeats;  but  ever,  when  defeat 
comes,  accept  it  as  the  penalty  for  error;  learn  by  the 
mistakes,  and  try  again. 

In  this  country  big  capital  is  required  to  finance 
big  organizations  with  big  men  in  control.  But  men 


THE  MEASURE  OF  COMPETENCE  293 

can  live  only  a  few  years,  and  why  envy  them  their 
service,  and  why  deprecate  their  success,  which  is 
always  so  temporary  and  restricted?  When  an  or¬ 
ganizer  builds  up  a  plant,  and  departs  from  life,  his  liv¬ 
ing  work  again  demands  a  living  man  at  the  helm,  and 
merit  is  the  measure  of  living  men.  There  is  virtue 
in  system,  in  organization,  in  justice,  in  truth,  in  fair 
play,  and  honest  right  mindedness  between  man  and 
man.  There  is  error  in  the  clamorous  attacks  against 
the  foundations  of  law  and  order,  in  unscrupulous 
politics,  in  destructive  business  practice,  in  lives  of 
luxury  and  ease,  and  in  the  words  of  those  who  prate 
against  authority.  Moderation  in  freedom  is  essen¬ 
tial  in  every  habit  and  avenue  of  business  and  social 
life,  and  we  can  best  measure  men  by  what  we  may 
well  term  “The  Measure  of  Competence.” 


CIVILIZATION 


A  S  THE  bones  of  primitive  animals  embedded 
r\  in  fragments  of  rocks  speak  to  us  the  history 
of  the  evolution  of  life,  so  fragments  of  litera¬ 
ture  tell  of  the  evolution  of  government,  which  we 
call  civilization;  and  the  study  of  civilization  relates 
to  the  habits,  customs,  manners,  the  culture,  art, 
and  literature  of  all  nations,  races,  and  peoples.  The 
thought  immediately  presented  is  that  no  civilization, 
far  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  great  human  family, 
can  maintain  its  integrity,  and  in  every  titanic  strug¬ 
gle  of  barbarism  against  civilization,  civilization 
has  been  finally  conquered,  and  its  forces  dissipated 
to  decrease  barbarism,  and  act  as  new  leaven  to  build 
up  new  culture  and  learning.  America  heretofore 
considered  herself  immune  from  attack,  the  herald  of 
universal  peace,  the  initiator  of  disarmament,  in  a 
world  where  Might  has  always  ruled  and  Righteous¬ 
ness  has  always  been  cast  to  the  four  winds  of  heaven. 
But  again  Justice  holds  the  sword  of  steel  and  lays 
aside  the  olive  branch,  to  enforce  her  decrees  against 
modern  powers,  weighed  in  the  balance  and  found 
wanting.  We  have  to  admit  we  are  still  one  of  an 
unorganized  family  of  nations,  where  each  must  be 
prepared  to  defend  life  and  property  by  brute  force, 
against  those  to  whom  no  law  or  treaty  is  sacred, 
and  neither  the  property  nor  the  lives  of  neutrals  are 

294 


CIVILIZATION 


295 


respected  in  the  zeal  for  conquest.  As  long  as  men 
take  profit  from  the  misfortunes  and  necessities  of  life 
of  their  fellowmen;  as  long  as  accumulated  wealth 
means  only  luxury,  ease,  and  profligate  waste  of 
opportunity;  as  long  as  men  are  measured  by  stan¬ 
dards  of  caste  and  gold,  instead  of  by  standards  of 
learning  and  service,  so  long  will  aggression  con¬ 
tinue  and  disaster  overwhelm  every  nation  caught 
unprepared. 

The  history  of  civilization  to  date  has  been  a  his¬ 
tory  of  tribute  exacted  by  temporal  power  and  armed 
forces  from  industry,  thrift,  and  toil.  The  wolf  has 
been  gorged  with  the  lamb,  and  the  lion  with  the 
fat  young  of  the  deer.  And  it  takes  an  extremely 
visionary  mind  to  prophesy  how  and  when  complete 
disarmament  of  nations  can  arise,  until  nations  cease, 
boundaries  are  obliterated,  and  every  man  deals  with 
every  other  man  as  a  brother  in  service.  History 
shows  that  the  instant  powers  of  civilization  lose  their 
superiority  of  armed  force,  wrong-doing  triumphs 
over  righteousness,  for  evil  is  always  aggressive  in 
conflict  while  civ  lization  reaches  forward  in  a  vision¬ 
ary  attempt  to  trace  paths  of  universal  peace  as  the 
millennium  of  good.  There  is  a  warning  to  all  Ameri¬ 
cans  to  avoid  passive  subjection  to  injustice,  and  to 
test  out  every  evil  thing  and  every  foe  to  our  free 
institutions,  both  to  learn  their  base  intentions  and 
intrigues,  if  such  there  be,  to  sharpen  our  own  wits, 
to  strengthen  our  guard,  and  to  warn  the  world  that 
free-born  men  can  fight,  and  to  preserve  their  blood- 
bought  freedom  will  gladly  endure  every  conceivable 
hardship,  and  sacrifice  fortunes  and  life  itself  upon 


296 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  altar  of  Liberty,  rather  than  see  the  invasion  of 
our  free  institutions,  or  submit  to  tribute. 

Peace  is  unworthy  if  it  means  compromise;  but 
we  are  a  nation  of  individualists,  for  with  us  civiliza¬ 
tion  has  given  more  attention  to  individual  develop¬ 
ment  than  ever  before  in  history.  And  it  takes 
courage  to  be  an  individual,  to  maintain  one’s  idea 
of  right,  as  we  see  the  right,  before  the  world.  But 
the  theory  of  our  civilization,  and  the  foundation  of 
our  liberty  of  thought  and  action,  are  that  every  citizen 
has  an  inalienable  right  to  reach  his  own  convictions 
and  maintain  them,  and  we  reverence  the  views  of  a 
minority,  but  follow  the  majority  lead.  In  a  country 
at  war  the  firing  line  may  be  the  safest  place,  but 
otherwise  with  a  country  at  peace,  as  we  declare 
peace,  for  in  reality  there  is  not,  and  can  never  be  peace 
between  good  and  evil,  between  the  surviving  fittest 
and  the  defeated,  between  the  perils  of  the  past  and 
the  hopes  of  the  future.  And  slow,  industrial,  in¬ 
sidious  invasion  is  far  more  dangerous  and  usually 
precedes  invasion  by  armed  force,  or  rather  where 
invasion  by  colonization  and  exploitation  fails,  or  is 
admittedly  impossible,  there  invasion  by  force  of 
arms  begins.  This  is  a  world  of  the  survival  of  the 
fittest,  and  in  order  to  survive  we  must  be  fit  and 
keep  in  condition;  we  must  take  our  part  in  world 
progress,  as  a  leading  nation,  or  with  other  nations 
hold  and  maintain  a  balance  of  power,  constantly 
measuring  ourselves  by  the  rule  of  righteousness  and 
justice,  and  exerting  every  influence  we  can  bring  to 
bear  upon  the  peoples  of  this  earth,  to  respect  law 
and  order,  and  submit  to  a  rule  of  reason. 


CIVILIZATION 


297 


America  has  been  called  a  sleeping  giant,  and 
rightly,  for  we  now  need  solidarity  and  co-operation 
of  all  our  States,  of  all  our  people,  to  suggest  and  adopt 
plans  for  organization  to  support  our  civilization, 
upon  foundations  which  cannot  be  moved.  This 
republic  is  not  a  fool’s  paradise,  and  we  now  know 
that  armaments  did  not  cause  the  great  conflict,  but 
if  people  had  only  clubs  and  stones,  they  would  fight 
anyhow,  only  that  one  company  of  men  with  an  ar¬ 
mored  car  can  disperse  any  conceivable,  unorganized 
mob.  Covetousness  and  jealousy,  animosities,  ha¬ 
treds,  and  suspicions,  hope  for  commercial  and  in¬ 
dustrial  expansion,  and  the  lust  for  gold,  breed  the 
terrible  horrors  of  war,  and  have  these  traits  de¬ 
parted  from  the  minds  of  men?  And  so  we  know  and 
realize  that,  moreover,  our  preparation  must  not  only 
be  for  the  present,  temporary,  but  for  the  future, 
permanent,  and  our  civilization,  founded  in  righteous¬ 
ness  but  with  power  to  enforce  the  right  and  protect 
against  wrong,  must  organize  for  self-preservation 
and  never  gamble  with  fate  over  the  safety  of  our 
inheritance.  And  now  we  suddenly  awake,  and  rush 
to  arms,  but  fortunately  not  only  with  years  of  warn¬ 
ing  of,  and  preparation  for,  impending  danger,  but 
with  powerful  allies,  for  fortune  has  dealt  kindly  with 
our  nation,  and  we  are  permitted  to  see  the  struggle 
and  enter  into  the  field  of  strife  between  titanic 
giants  whose  civilizations  have  conflicted,  and  be¬ 
tween  whom  new  treaties  must  be  made  and  en¬ 
forced,  to  declare  how  and  where  each  may  increase, 
develop,  and  expand.  The  great  lesson  we  have 
learned  is  good-will  toward  individuals,  which  is 


298  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

the  first  foundation  stone  of  our  new  civilization  of 
liberty. 

The  second  foundation  stone,  which  we  must  care¬ 
fully  set  in  place,  cementing  every  crevice,  is  good-will 
toward  bodies  of  men,  corporate  business,  as  we  say. 
If  the  national  defences  are  improved  when  a  railroad 
builds  a  tremendously  heavy  bridge  far  beyond  its 
present  needs,  to  strengthen  its  line,  increase  the  car¬ 
rying  capacity,  and  make  itself  an  instrument  of 
government  aid  in  emergency,  put  it  there,  and  let 
the  public  cheerfully  pay  and  co-operate  with  big 
business. 

When  the  powerful  shipping  interests  ask  public 
assistance  in  obtaining  beneficial  laws,  never  raise 
the  cry  of  corporate  greed,  but  give  and  take  with 
them,  and  increase  public  good-will  toward  business. 
Grant  favor  to  the  farmer’s  grange,  to  the  mechanics 
union,  to  encourage  all  our  people  in  unity  and  thrift, 
and  so  lay  this  foundation  stone  of  business  co-opera¬ 
tion  as  no  people  ever  laid  it  before.  The  third 
cornerstone  of  our  civilization  must  be  universal 
military  experience  for  every  able-bodied  citizen,  and 
the  co-ordination  of  all  industries,  under  a  plan 
whereby  their  usefulness  can  be  studied,  proper 
means  of  expansion  suggested,  and  assistance  and 
advice  given  wherever  and  whenever  needed.  We 
cannot  afford  to  let  any  citizen  be  idle  or  escape  ser¬ 
vice,  but  make  service  the  measure  of  successful 
manhood,  and  every  vocation  a  source  of  living 
wages,  with  opportunities  of  recreation  and  self¬ 
development  for  all.  This  is  not  an  impossible  task, 
for  if  every  citizen  is  compelled  to  enter  service  and 


CIVILIZATION 


299 


perform  duties  to  the  State,  congenial  to  his  talents, 
and  adapted  to  his  physical  and  mental  powers,  all 
may  be  usefully  employed,  and  the  burdens  lightened 
upon  all  the  people.  Moreover,  universal  military 
training  will  teach  obedience  to  authority  with  deci¬ 
siveness  in  act' on,  and  Amer  cans  will  increase  in 
spirit  and  co-operation.  The  fourth  cornerstone  to 
be  laid  is  universal  good-will  and  co-operation  with  all 
nations,  as  a  national  policy.  Keep  America  for 
Americans,  and  evade  every  foreign  entanglement,  if 
we  may,  but  make  America  a  friend  to  man,  a  spender 
where  good  can  be  accomplished,  an  ally  of  truth, 
righteousness  and  justice  everywhere,  the  heart  and 
soul  of  good  faith  and  fair  play. 

In  the  past,  civilizations  have  sprung  up  in  many 
lands,  blossomed  like  the  flowers  of  springtime,  and 
scattered  seeds  of  new  thought  and  purpose  into  the 
lives  of  men;  but  our  aim  is  to  lay  so  broad  a  founda¬ 
tion  for  our  free  institutions  that  it  can  never  be 
moved,  and  to  accomplish  such  a  result  the  extending 
arms  of  brotherhood  must  encircle  the  globe  with 
peace,  good-will,  and  co-operation.  Our  forefathers 
sacrificed  much  and  endured  hardships  to  establish 
this  Nation  in  liberty,  and  the  security  of  our  civiliza¬ 
tion  can  be  assured  only  through  the  unification  of 
American  forces.  We  must  abandon  commercialism 
and  the  lust  for  gold,  and  introduce  an  intense  na¬ 
tional  conservation,  not  only  of  national  resources, 
but  of  American  Manhood  and  Americanism.  Those 
who  have  led  lives  of  reckless  selfishness  and  shame¬ 
less  waste  of  the  fruits  of  toil  must  take  thought  for 
the  sufferings  and  rights  of  those  less  fortunate,  and 


300  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

keep  the  structure  of  society  firmly  established  in  jus¬ 
tice,  righteousness,  and  service.  We  have  a  glorious 
heritage  of  lofty  ideals,  founded  in  prudence  and  wis¬ 
dom,  and  the  prosperity  and  physical  well-being  of 
every  citizen  are  relative  to  our  civilization.  Our  fore¬ 
fathers  dedicated  this  Nation  to  the  proposition  that 
all  men  are  created  free  and  equal,  establishing  a 
government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  and  for  the 
people.  The  history  of  civilization  is  not  complete 
until  we  chronicle  the  facts  that  we  fought  the  War  of 
Rebellion  to  preserve  this  glorious  union,  that  free 
institutions  should  not  perish  here,  and  we  engaged 
in  the  War  of  Nations  to  publish  and  declare  to  all  the 
world  that  we  stand  for  the  freedom  and  equality  of 
all  men,  to  break  every  bond  and  set  free  every  cap¬ 
tive,  that  the  world  shall  be  a  safe  place  for  Democ¬ 
racy,  and  that  we  may  establish  for  all  time  the  high¬ 
est  form  of  civilization  yet  known,  the  universal 
brotherhood  of  men,  not  merely  as  individuals,  but 
in  their  co-operative  fields  of  relationship,  in  their 
international  conferences  and  alliances. 


SOCIAL  LEGISLATION 


THE  Evolution  of  the  State  through  centuries 
tends  always  toward  some  form  of  the  univer¬ 
sal  brotherhood  of  man  in  theory,  which  in  the 
State  itself  becomes  restricted  to  its  immediate  mem¬ 
bers  and  in  practice  and  results,  throughout  every 
page  of  history,  we  find  each  separated  successful 
commonwealth,  ever  infatuated  with  its  own  senti¬ 
ments  of  nationality  and  the  political  organization 
of  its  own  nation,  yet  unable  to  appreciate  the 
broader  brotherhood  of  States,  which  is  the  science  of 
maintaining  friendly  and  economically  just  dealings 
and  relationships  with  all  peoples  and  governments. 
Every  State  by  its  inception  is  socialistic;  however, 
the  legislators  of  the  past  have  always  held  it  their 
duty  to  retard  and  subdue  all  socialistic  legislation, 
which  includes  all  legislation  admittedly  relative  to 
the  welfare  of  all  individuals  collectively,  whereas 
to-day  social  legislation  is  looked  upon  with  favorable 
comment,  for  the  welfare  of  each  and  every  citizen 
is  relative  to  the  welfare  of  the  State,  just  as  the 
wealth  of  every  individual  is  likewise  relative  to  the 
State  or  national  rating. 

There  are  two  prerogatives  of  law,  the  term  law 
being  used  in  the  broad  sense  to  include  Court  deci¬ 
sions,  statutory  enactments,  and  the  acts  of  Public 
Service  Commissions;  there  is  the  law  relative  to 


301 


302 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


protection  against  crime,  the  law  against  breach  of 
contract  relation,  the  law  of  maintenance  of  order, 
system,  and  authority  on  the  one  hand;  and  on  the 
other  hand  the  law  of  social  reform  and  progressive 
legislation,  designed  to  upbuild  public  health,  and  the 
thrift,  morality,  and  education  of  the  people  at  large. 
Private  property  has  always  been  sacred  before  the 
law  relative  to  protection,  in  the  sense  that  no  man 
could  so  use  his  own  property  as  to  injure  another. 
But  with  the  broader  social  legislation,  private  prop¬ 
erty  is  regarded  as  a  public  trust,  and  a  broader 
rule  seems  universally  recognized,  that  every  man  who 
has  property  must  use  it  for  the  welfare  of  all  his 
fellowmen.  Shall  we  decree  that  every  child  born  in 
the  slums  must  during  his  entire  lifetime  live  in  the 
slums,  and  finally  die  in  the  slums,  and  every  child 
born  a  millionaire  shall  live  a  millionaire  and  die  a 
millionaire,  that  some  be  born  to  spend  a  life  of  toil, 
and  some  of  ease,  or  is  it  more  democratic  that  every 
man  be  born  to  assume  his  equal  proportion  of  na¬ 
tional  responsibility,  and  every  citizen  be  encum¬ 
bered  with  a  duty  to  work  for  the  welfare  of  all?  If 
all  are  workers,  none  are  shirkers;  if  service  be  made 
the  measure  of  manliness,  how  our  commonwealth 
will  increase  by  leaps  and  bounds,  how  our  people 
will  be  blessed  with  such  prosperity  as  the  world  has 
heretofore  never  known.  This  is  social  legislation, 
and  yet  with  this  we  must  combine  and  maintain 
organization  and  respect  and  obedience  to  leaders 
and  organizers;  we  must  assure  stability  and  per¬ 
manence  to  every  law,  and  preserve  fair  monopoly 
and  political  machines  which  will  make  their  highest 


SOCIAL  LEGISLATION 


303 


objectives  true  justice  and  the  rights  and  welfare  of 
men.  Is  it  not  possible  to  maintain  a  commonwealth 
where  the  freedom  of  action  of  every  leader  and 
organizer  is  restrained  and  directed  by  the  desire  to 
develop,  upbuild,  and  improve  men,  mentally,  phys¬ 
ically,  and  morally?  The  State  is  a  political  organi¬ 
zation  of  human  beings  enjoying  the  conservation  of 
common  good;  accomplishing  the  greatest  good  to  the 
greatest  number;  weeding  out  drones,  weaklings,  and 
disturbers;  encouraging  and  compelling  men  to  toil 
efficiently,  to  save  systematically,  to  spend  and  be 
spent,  to  study  arts  and  science,  to  consider  as  the 
greatest  enemy  of  the  social  organization  the  man  who 
will  not  work,  the  man  who  shirks  his  duty  to  his 
fellowmen. 

We  have  never  yet  reached  a  point  where  our 
legislation  accomplishes  universal  justice,  for  laws 
which  benefit  one  are  almost  certain  to  harass  or 
work  hardships  upon  others,  especially  if  these  laws  of 
social  legislation  destroy  vested  interests;  but  the 
destruction  is  generally  of  stagnant  hoarded  wealth, 
and  not  of  active  business  interests,  and  the  com¬ 
munity,  rated  as  an  entirety,  benefits  at  the  expense 
of  a  few  members,  who  are  well  able  to  stand  the  loss, 
and  to  whom  such  deprivation  should  appeal  as  an 
act  of  patriotism.  Sound  morals  arise  as  the  result 
of  hard  work  and  sane  habits  of  livelihood;  nearly  all 
immorality  has  its  inception  in  idleness,  profligacy, 
and  waste.  If  every  man,  woman,  and  child  are  well- 
fed,  well-clothed,  and  well-sheltered,  what  more  can 
they  ask,  and  is  not  such  a  national  state  of  affairs 
worthy  of  attainment?  Selfish  and  misleading  in- 


304  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

fluences  tempt  some  people  to  aim  to  accumulate 
wealth  for  the  sake  of  riches,  to  seek  honor  for  the 
sake  of  social  standing,  whereas  the  truly  great  man 
sees  in  social  service  his  measure  of  duty.  Apply 
sound  ethics  to  this  thought  of  social  legislation,  and 
see  that  disinterested  persons  consider  what  is  right 
to  be  that  which  maintains  the  industry,  health,  and 
welfare  of  every  citizen.  Here  we  And  room  to  ap¬ 
prove  such  advance  progressive  movements  as  bring 
to  our  cities  commission  government,  as  bring  to 
women  rights  of  suffrage,  as  bring  to  inventors  pro¬ 
tection  in  securing  recognition,  as  bring  to  the  physi¬ 
cally  or  mentally  weak  the  necessary  protection,  as 
protect  business  and  industry,  and  ameliorate  loss 
and  disaster.  We  have  advanced  far  in  the  last  few 
progressive  years,  and  the  end  is  not  yet  in  view. 

Now  the  guiding  principle  is  to  measure  every 
legislation  by  the  rule  of  general  social  welfare  of 
the  people  at  large.  The  secondary  principle  is  to 
maintain  every  man  an  individual  working  unit,  a 
well-deAned  part  of  an  orderly  political,  social,  and 
industrial  organization,  where  he  will  be  necessarily 
subservient  to  authority.  There  can  be  no  dissatis¬ 
faction  if  all  are  bound  by  the  same  rule,  if  there  is  no 
exception;  in  our  human  organization  of  State  and 
Nation  the  trouble  makers  are  tb  i  tramp  and  wealthy 
idlers,  who  have  never  Atted  into  a  niche  of  useful¬ 
ness.  All  conditions  of  radical  improvement  are 
deAned  within  legislative  control,  and  although  hu¬ 
man  beings  will  not  impose  restraint  and  limitations 
upon  themselves  as  individuals,  they  will  both  legis¬ 
late  and  enforce  restraints  as  communities,  and  the 


SOCIAL  LEGISLATION 


30  5 


new  social  science  is  the  development  of  statutory 
laws,  designed  to  cure  social  ills  by  legislation.  The 
opposition  of  judges  to  social  legislation  is  waning, 
and  legislatures  are  directing  their  attention  to  com¬ 
mon-sense  business  propositions,  and  laying  aside 
theories,  mysticisms,  and  chicanery.  We  can  obtain 
freedom  to  contract  and  be  bound  by  contract,  with¬ 
out  the  bankruptcy  of  business  men.  We  can  enjoy 
freedom  of  press,  thought,  word,  and  conscience, 
without  bigotry  and  agitation.  We  can  appoint 
judges,  who  will  justly  decide  cases  as  statesmen,  and 
elect  governors  who  will  legislate  fairly  and  impar¬ 
tially.  We  can  do  more  than  this,  we  can  render  to 
every  man  his  due,  preserve  life  and  property,  yet 
relieve  all  our  citizens  from  oppression  and  social  in¬ 
justice.  We  can  educate  every  American  child  to 
learn  some  means  of  employment  in  useful  service, 
so  that  Americans  will  supply  America  and  all  the 
civilized  world,  if  need  be,  with  all  the  needs  of  civili¬ 
zation.  And  as  we  study  social  legislation  applied  to 
individuals,  let  us  also  study  the  broad  international 
legislation  of  humanitarianism,  and  declare  all  men 
of  all  nations,  without  exception,  brothers,  entitled 
to  justice  and  consideration.  This  opens  the  way  to 
cure  and  blot  out  the  sores  of  distress,  disease,  and 
poverty  upon  this  globe,  where  men  have  suffered 
and  endured  so  long,  for  we  are  on  the  threshold  of  a 
new  era,  the  era  of  good-will  toward  men,  the  era  of 
universal  respect  for  the  rights  of  all  men  everywhere. 


GOVERNMENT  BY  REPRESENTATION 

WE  MAY  call  our  representative  government 
the  modern  academic  rule  of  law-enacting 
and  law-making  bodies,  elected  or  ap¬ 
pointed  undei  powers  derived  from  the  governed. 
As  self-governed  people  are  self-reliant  and  politically 
vigorous,  they  must  exert  their  power  of  choice,  and 
their  self-reliant  independence  in  the  election  of  repre¬ 
sentative  rulers,  but  when  these  rulers  are  once  placed 
in  office,  their  word  should  be  a  law  unto  the  people, 
and  obedience  to  their  authority  and  law,  the  fore¬ 
most  duty  of  every  citizen.  Now  shall  such  repre¬ 
sentatives  be  merely  the  chosen  mouthpieces  for  the 
represented,  popular  representatives  voicing  the  will 
of  the  majority  of  the  constituents,  or  shall  such 
icpiesentatives  be  members  of  a  Government  by 
repi esentation,  acting  upon  their  own  best  judgment, 
as  various  unforeseen  circumstances  arise,  acting  as  a 
substitute  for  the  represented,  to  work  out  their 
welfaie  to  the  greatest  degree  possible,  considering 
and  always  having  in  mind  at  the  same  time  the 
welfare  of  the  nation  at  large? 

There  is  no  question  of  the  legal  right  of  a  repre¬ 
sentative  of  popular  government  to  vote  as  he 
pleases,  or  rather  to  vote  as  his  conscience  dictates, 
so  we  pass  to  a  subordinate  question  as  to  whether 
his  constituents  have  a  moral  claim  upon  their  chosen 

308 


GOVERNMENT  BY  REPRESENTATION  307 

representative,  that  his  point  of  view  shall  not  be 
contrary  to  their  directions  and  expressed  opinions. 
A  majority  power  usually  expresses  its  will  by  a 
command ,  and  a  demand  that  the  chosen  representa¬ 
tive  follow  the  set  opinion  and  desire,  generally  car¬ 
ried  by  the  political  machine  or  organization;  while 
the  minority  resort  to  petitions  and  letter-writing 
methods,  to  attempt  to  prove  that  the  majority  vote 
has  changed  and  shifted  from  the  controlling  power 
to  the  independents.  The  representative,  if  public 
opinion  has  really  shifted,  may  be  tempted  to  vote  to 
gain  public  good-will,  but  under  all  such  question¬ 
able  circumstances  he  should  call  in  his  reason  and 
conscience,  and  vote  only  for  the  welfare  of  the  State 
and  Nation.  But  politicians  agree  that  where  a 
representative  knows  the  body  he  represents  would 
declare  some  decided  stand  or  decision,  even  though 
he  disagree  with  such  decision,  or  with  the  aims  of  the 
machine  whose  views  he  adopted  and  under  whose 
auspices  he  was  elected,  yet  he  is  in  honor  bound  to 
vote  for  the  views  and  desires  of  his  constituents, 
unless  the  presented  demands  are  so  clearly  and  posi¬ 
tively  antagonistic  to  the  views  of  the  represented 
as  to  leave  a  decided  duty  to  State  and  Nation.  But 
the  representative  must  constantly  keep  in  mind  that 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Government  body  of  the  Na¬ 
tion,  and  as  such  owes  duties  to  guard  the  welfare  of 
the  people  at  large,  as  well  as  his  constituents,  and 
the  welfare  of  a  part  must  ever  be  subordinate  to 
the  welfare  of  the  whole.  Governing  is  a  very  com¬ 
plicated  business,  which  cannot  be  left  haphazard 
to  any  citizen  of  a  republic,  but  trained  men,  edu- 


308  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

cated  and  well  informed,  are  essential  to  good  success¬ 
ful  government,  men  with  initiative  to  start  things, 
men  with  broad  liberal  views  to  do  justice  to  and 
respect  the  views  of  all. 

Now  in  the  second  place  it  is  the  duty  of  every  rep- 
lesentative,  as  an  integral  unit  of  government,  to 
guard,  respect,  and  defend  the  constitution  of  the 
central  Government,  from  which  the  governing 
powers  are  derived,  and  the  various  laws,  enactments, 
and  governing  rules  of  the  nation  and  of  the  body  of 
which  he  is  a  member.  Should  we  publicly  criticise 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  the  judges  of  our 
Courts,  the  members  of  ruling  and  investigating 
bodies  and  commissions  ?  When  such  matters  are  not 
under  discussion,  such  public  utterances  are  unwise, 
unfair,  and  derogatory  to  the  ruling  authority,  and 
we  should  recognize  a  certain  sacredness  of  the  rule 
of  those  elected  to  office  to  permit  them  discretionary 
action.  When  such  matters  are  legally  under  dis¬ 
cussion,  preliminary  details  may  well  be  confined  to 
investigation  records,  and  not  published  broadcast, 
to  breed  disrespect,  lack  of  confidence,  and  disobe¬ 
dience..  We  have  three  independent  departments  of 
legislative  growth,  the  incepting,  the  amending,  and 
the  concluding  executive.  If  one  goes  wrong  we  do 
not  fly  into  a  rage  and  berate  our  initiative  for  lack 
of  patiiotism,  but  after  the  proposed  act  is  presented 
and  passed  in  the  House  it  journeys  to  the  Senate  for 
reference  work,  committee  work,  and  amendment. 
It  is  passed  as  presented,  passed  as  amended,  re¬ 
jected,  or  dies  in  committee,  and  only  after  the  closest 
scrutiny  can  it  reach  the  executive  or  final  judgment. 


GOVERNMENT  BY  REPRESENTATION  309 

where  again  it  may  be  refused  official  sanction,  and 
then  two  thirds  majority  are  needed  to  pass  the  veto. 
So  the  legislative  must  co-operate  with  the  judges, 
who  interpret  legislation,  and  here  again  the  statutory 
enactment  must  run  the  gauntlet  of  constitutional 
approval,  and  we  have  placed  all  these  safeguards  to 
hold  back  waves  of  theoretically  patriotic  reforms 
which  might  jeopardize  the  foundations  of  our  re¬ 
publican  institutions. 

Government  is  the  organized  instrument  of  author¬ 
ity,  to  realize  the  common  ideals  of  a  community, 
and  enforce  the  will  of  the  majority  against  the  repre¬ 
sented  minority,  and  it  is  essential  that  there  be  in 
the  collective  representative  body  no  friction  of 
these  ideals  or  purposes,  no  matter  how  well-defined 
such  differences  and  objectives  appear  among  the 
constituents  or  parties  represented.  That  is  to  pre¬ 
serve  the  unity  and  cohesive  action  of  the  central 
governing  body,  and  to  merge  all  local  divergent 
antagonisms  in  the  represented,  into  one  unit  of 
authority  in  the  representing,  whose  decrees,  more¬ 
over,  shall  be  laws  unto  all  the  nation,  as  a  united 
people.  The  power  of  united  mental  authority,  es¬ 
tablished  in  justice  and  righteousness,  is  by  far  more 
substantial  than  control  resting  upon  the  unsubstan¬ 
tial  foundation  of  organized  force,  but  the  power  of 
the  will  of  the  people  must  nevertheless  be  backed 
by  powers  of  the  units  represented,  to  enforce  decrees 
upon  every  unit,  for  in  the  unity  and  cohesion  of  the 
whole  lie  the  strength  and  power  of  organized  gov¬ 
ernment.  Our  self-imposed,  unmoved,  immovable, 
constitutional  limitations  protect  us  from  unsympa- 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


810 

thetic  revolution,  and  protect  the  realm  from  radical¬ 
ism,  so  that  our  republican  institutions  have  rounded 
out  and  developed  by  a  natural  series  of  evolutions, 
and  as  we  have  learned  the  lessons  of  republicanism, 
these  great  truths  are  slowly  but  surely  being  in¬ 
corporated  into  every  Court  and  legislature,  to  re¬ 
strain  license  and  anarchy,  and  to  entrench  public  ser¬ 
vice.  The  importance  of  the  individual  is  not  less¬ 
ened,  but  rather  emphasized,  for  as  a  self -directive 
unit  of  a  self-conscious  organization  of  authority, 
where  the  welfare  of  one  is  recognized  as  the  welfare 
of  all,  every  individual  citizen  merits  and  receives 
personal  government  attention,  advice,  and  co-opera¬ 
tion,  under  the  high  authority  of  control,  existing  and 
acting  by  democratic  consent.  Thus  through  these 
various  channels  of  public  thought  we  have  de¬ 
veloped  this  government  by  representation,  a  gov¬ 
ernment  by  the  highest  qualifications  of  minds, 
chosen  from  and  by  a  cohesive  public-spirited  people, 
where  each  representative  represents  the  represented, 
yet  acts  as  part  of  the  central  governing  authority, 
with  an  independent  freedom  of  thought  and  action, 
for  the  welfare  of  the  whole  nation.  Thus  we  have 
built  up  the  first  successful  popular  democratic 
government  and  set  an  example  of  continuous  stabil¬ 
ity  and  unity  before  all  the  world,  which  every  na¬ 
tion  is  rapidly  copying  and  incorporating  into  popular 
rule.  The  essence  of  this  democracy  is  government 
by  representative  men,  and  the  secret  of  successful 
government  by  representation  is  clothing  the  central, 
elected,  collective  representative  body  with  authority 
and  power  to  act,  legislate,  and  control  as  a  com- 


GOVERNMENT  BY  REPRESENTATION  311 

mittee  of  independent  individuals,  each  individual 
representative  being  vested  with  the  prerogative 
of  independent  thought  and  decision  upon  every 
question  of  State  which  is  relative  to  the  national 
welfare. 


OUR  BUSINESS  DEMOCRACY 


THE  time  is  at  hand  for  America  to  reach  for¬ 
ward  toward  Business  Efficiency  and  to  turn 
her  attention  toward  honest  effort  to  increase 
Industry,  Science,  and  the  cultivation  of  conserva¬ 
tive  statesmanship.  The  desire  to  work  is  an  ac¬ 
quired  taste,  and  whether  it  be  the  pleasure  of  manual 
toil  or  mental  intuition,  the  results  come  from  habit¬ 
ual  practice  of  virtue  learned  in  early  youth.  Active 
minds  as  well  as  active  muscles  crave  and  are  satis¬ 
fied  only  by  constant  exercise,  and  to  men  who  have 
acquired  habits  of  concentration  of  thought  there  is 
no  contentment  except  in  professional,  literary  and 
artistic  effort.  Statistics  prove  such  strenuous  cam¬ 
paigns  of  activity  lengthen  life,  and  it  is  doubtful  if 
men  can  destroy  or  shorten  careers  by  well-regulated 
labor,  no  matter  how  arduous,  whether  mental  or 
physical.  But  too  many  men  waste  and  shorten 
their  lives  by  unemployment,  worry,  and  low  amuse¬ 
ments,  being  too  proud  to  take  advantage  of  real 
opportunities  at  hand,  because  of  their  not  having 
been  educated  to  appreciate  the  worth  and  honor  of 
honest  toil.  Wealth  is  accumulated  labor;  the  real 
criminal  is  the  man  who  leads  an  unenergetic,  un¬ 
employed  life,  giving  nothing  to  society  or  humanity, 
and  our  modem  educational  system  tends  to  produce 
such  accomplished  but  useless  drones.  Our  students 


OUR  BUSINESS  DEMOCRACY 


313 


live  in  haste,  write  in  haste,  think  in  haste,  haste  to 
school,  and  haste  from  school,  fill  their  minds  with 
many  mixed  and  unintelligible  thoughts,  and  call  it 
an  academic  education.  Thousands  of  scholars  can 
string  many  words  into  sentences,  with  no  idea  of 
their  meaning,  knowing  nothing  of  theory,  science,  or 
physics.  They  have  opinions  and  theories  on  every¬ 
thing,  and  purchase  daily  sheets  of  thought,  pre¬ 
digested,  censured,  and  devoid  of  all  information, 
truth,  and  reality,  lest  by  chance  the  reader  might 
learn  something.  No  scholar  ever  gained  wisdom  by 
unravelling  poems  and  prose  in  dead  languages,  al¬ 
though  there  is  much  valuable  training  in  studying 
the  style,  the  thought,  and  the  expression  of  success¬ 
ful  schools  of  writers,  but  our  educators  have  not 
reached  the  point  of  appreciation  of  such  fine  argu¬ 
ments.  Do  we  teach  our  students  to  have  opinions 
and  principles  or  merely  to  be  able  to  argue  on  either 
side  of  any  question  that  may  arise?  Is  it  useful  to 
learn  a  little  of  everything  under  the  sun,  yet  to  be 
really  proficient  in  nothing?  If  compulsory  military 
training  will  open  the  minds  of  our  young  men  and 
women  to  study  the  problems  of  existence  and  prin¬ 
ciples  of  right  living,  then  give  every  youth  military 
training,  for  it  will  make  them  men,  and  develop 
their  reasoning  activity  and  judgment,  and  render  to 
society  lives  of  purpose,  and  forceful,  well-directed 
action  and  endeavor. 

Men  have  suffered  most  extreme  agonies  in  their 
struggles  to  defend  errors  honestly  taken  for  truths, 
but  true  service  is  disciplining  energies  without  ex¬ 
hausting  them,  and  building  every  day  more  securely 


314 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


some  individual  trade  or  profession.  Because  of  our 
misconceptions  of  fundamental  principles  of  political 
economy,  we  cannot  successfully  solve  the  economical 
questions  before  us  to-day.  The  Labor  problem  re¬ 
solves  itself  into  providing  every  laborer  with  food, 
clothing,  shelter,  and  reasonable  opportunity  for 
recreation,  education,  and  enjoyment  of  life,  liberty, 
and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  for  himself  and  his 
family,  for  the  Spirit  of  American  Brotherhood  should 
apply  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  so  that  there  be 
no  citizen  or  group  of  citizens  free  from  the  self- 
imposed  union  of  healthy  political  life  in  this  Re¬ 
public.  The  Tariff  problem  resolves  itself  into  the 
proposition  of  regulating  the  national  business  for  the 
benefit  of  our  own  merchants  and  manufacturers, 
remembering  that  in  the  long  run  neither  high  nor  low 
wages,  nor  high  nor  low  prices  have  any  direct  in¬ 
fluence  or  result,  as  these  constantly  seek  to  adjust 
themselves  to  the  levels  of  trade  and  production,  for 
we  measure  a  nation  finally  only  by  its  productive 
capacity.  The  question  of  politics  resolves  itself 
into  a  proposition  of  choosing  capable  leaders,  and  all 
useless  or  needless  politicians  are  deadwood,  burdens 
carried  by  the  public.  Likewise  the  police,  firemen, 
judges,  jailors,  lawyers,  physicians,  engineers,  artists, 
school  teachers,  and  Government  employees  can  all 
be  classified  as  men  in  special  occupations  where 
we  want  neither  too  few  nor  too  many,  and  the  more 
men  employed  in  industrial  productive  occupa¬ 
tions,  the  fairer  can  be  the  distribution  of  profits 
and  benefits. 

There  is  not  a  man  of  us  who  may  not  make  mis- 


OUR  BUSINESS  DEMOCRACY 


315 


takes,  who  may  not  fail,  who  may  not  suffer  from 
accident  or  disease,  and  the  first  element  of  brother¬ 
hood  is  to  eliminate  the  taking  of  profit  from  every 
misfortune  of  a  fellowman.  To-day  the  average 
physician  looks  upon  sickness  as  his  opportunity  to 
measure  friendship  in  fees,  every  lawyer  seeks  out 
accidents  and  bankruptcies,  and  ruthless  publicity 
often  drives  to  self-destruction  great  developers  and 
pioneers  of  industry,  whenever  successful  competi¬ 
tions  claim  a  victim.  The  strenuous  life  is  attractive, 
and  we  may  well  extend  sympathy,  compassion,  and 
assistance  to  business  men  whose  sole  crime  is  un¬ 
familiarity  with  unintelligible  statutes  set  like  traps 
in  a  maze  of  complexities,  and  only  through  lucky 
chance  can  an  American  business  man  rise  to  the 
power  of  success.  The  problem  of  taxation  is  one 
of  distributing  the  burden  of  government  support 
equally  upon  all  citizens,  and  every  citizen  should  be 
rated  to  pay  a  proper  share  upon  his  entire  holdings 
of  accumulated  wealth.  Corporations  should  never 
be  taxed,  for  they  are  not  men,  but  merely  industrial 
factors,  and  every  tax  upon  a  corporation  is  taxation 
upon  taxation  in  addition  to  being  a  burden  upon  our 
industrial  life.  No  man  does  his  duty  who  does  not 
work,  and  our  prime  need  is  that  every  American 
should  understand  that  all  his  fellow-citizens  have 
like  interests,  like  needs,  and  like  aspirations  for  suc¬ 
cess,  advancement,  and  power,  and  these  rights  of  life, 
liberty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness  must  be  fostered, 
guarded,  and  respected  by  all  and  for  all. 

The  question  of  immigration  resolves  itself  into  a 
problem  of  introducing  into  our  land  new  blood,  new 


316 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


ideas,  and  new  institutions,  for  from  an  economic 
standpoint  we  do  not  need  imported  labor.  One 
tenth  of  our  population  employed  can  supply  the 
nation  with  the  necessities  of  life,  and  another  tenth 
can  supply  us  with  luxuries.  Importation  of  labor 
then  makes  us  a  nation  hiring  men  to  do  labor  we 
should  do  ourselves,  and  we  cannot  afford  to  have 
our  children  unacquainted  with  honest  toil.  Neither 
can  we  afford  to  have  our  cities  filled  with  a  low, 
unemployed  foreign  element,  nor  make  our  nation  a 
refuge  for  the  criminal  and  dissatisfied  classes  of 
Europe,  for  the  near  future  will  undoubtedly  see  the 
fall  of  many  crowns  as  sovereign  peoples  seize  control 
of  empires  and  install  republican  institutions.  Just 
as  every  fruit  tree  and  grapevine  needs  an  annual 
pruning  to  free  the  plant  of  all  non-productive  ten¬ 
drils,  which  otherwise  would  sap  its  productive 
strength,  so  our  national  life  must  continually  be  set 
free  from  the  ever-increasing  increments  of  new  busi¬ 
ness,  which  must  be  cut  off,  in  order  that  the  parent 
stock  may  turn  its  life  power  into  fruitage. 

The  business  of  legislatures  is  not  to  impede  and  re¬ 
strict  legitimate  business,  but  to  increase  and  regulate 
industrial  progress.  A  republic  does  not  need  to  be 
ruled  by  fear,  but  the  self-imposed  ruling  power 
should  be  founded  on  co-operation  and  good-will.  The 
success  of  a  business  democracy  demands  that  all 
the  powers  the  government  can  marshall  be  focussed 
upon  the  development  of  business  advantages,  to 
give  our  leaders  fair  opportunity  to  plan  out  cam¬ 
paigns  of  industrial  production  and  development,  and 
reap  full  and  commensurate  rewards  for  their  labor 


OUR  BUSINESS  DEMOCRACY  317 

without  fear  of  discrimination,  and  without  too  high  a 
penalty  upon  failure. 

The  matter  of  statutory  control  over  business  is  a 
vital  weakness  of  American  progress.  The  naviga¬ 
tion  laws  have  rendered  commercial  expansion  almost 
impossible,  while  the  anti-trust  legislation  has  in 
many  remarkable  ways  interfered  with  and  restricted 
legitimate  business,  for  how  can  any  legislature  or 
Court  pass  upon  contract  relationship  between  indi¬ 
viduals  or  with  corporate  bodies,  except  to  interpret 
terms  and  business  relations.  Publicity  of  evil  de¬ 
stroys  the  power  of  evil,  but  just  so  publicity  of  busi¬ 
ness  details  makes  successful  operation  impossible. 
Clumsy  methods  of  exacting  returns,  taxes,  and  re¬ 
funds,  and  requiring  oaths,  bonds,  and  innumerable 
inventories,  appraisements,  assessments,  estimates, 
and  other  annual  documents  from  every  individual 
and  corporation,  setting  forth  in  detail  every  busi¬ 
ness  transaction,  hardly  permits  trade  freedom,  even 
though  it  furnishes  employment  to  thousands  of 
office  seekers.  Of  course,  mistakes,  if  not  vital,  are 
overlooked,  but  great  business  concerns  find  little 
pleasure  in  filing  reports,  and  placing  upon  public 
record  facts  which  they  are  privileged  to  hold  in  se¬ 
cret.  Where  one  corporation  secures  stock  in  an¬ 
other,  one  tax  is  on  one  stock,  another  on  the  parent 
stock,  including  the  first,  a  third  upon  the  corpora¬ 
tion  holdings  of  the  stockholder,  who  in  addition 
pays  his  regular  personal  and  real  estate  tax  on  all. 
Although  the  Government  may  collect  taxes  four 
times  over,  there  is  no  gain  but  great  loss,  for  one 
hand  washes  the  other,  and  little  or  no  tax  is  paid  by 


318 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


the  average  man  on  personal  holdings.  But  why  re¬ 
quire  series  upon  series  of  corporation  and  income 
assessments,  when  one  direct  tax  on  all  property 
holdings  of  each  individual  would  cover  everything, 
and  all  in  one  transaction  could  be  easily  ascertained, 
estimated,  and  collected?  We  need  a  national  budget 
combined  with  direct,  thorough  individual  taxation 
to  simplify  and  clarify  our  national  business  life. 

Meanwhile  we  write  our  books  full  of  unnecessary 
statutes,  upon  which  legislatures  and  Courts  in  turn 
pass  and  repass,  only  to  have  some  declared  uncon¬ 
stitutional  and  many  repealed.  At  the  last  general 
election  a  friend  remarked  to  a  Senatorial  candidate 
in  all  earnestness :  “  If  you  veto  every  bill  that  comes 
up  you  will  be  the  most  despised  man  in  the  legisla¬ 
ture,  but  you  will  do  your  duty.”  That  may  be  an 
extreme  view,  but  are  we  not,  as  a  nation,  going  too 
far  along  lines  of  laws  in  restraint  of  trade,  business, 
and  freedom  to  contract?  And  do  we  not  overlook 
the  other  side  of  giving  aid  and  encouragement  to 
business,  instead  of  imposing  red  tape  and  new  duties 
year  by  year?  The  reason  for  this  is  not  far  to  see. 
Our  professional  politicians  fill  all  offices,  and  lawyers 
and  popular  representatives  plunge  into  every  sug¬ 
gested  escape  from  every  difficulty,  without  a  thought 
of  asking  the  advice  of  experts  or  interested  business 
associations.  Indeed,  it  seems  as  if  our  great  busi¬ 
ness  pioneers  are  rather  in  disrepute,  whereas  they 
should  be  the  Solons  of  America.  We  cannot  afford 
to  have  a  government  by  lawyers,  unless  our  systems 
of  education  are  so  revised  as  to  make  every  lawyer 
a  statesman,  and  expert  along  lines  of  business  opera- 


OUR  BUSINESS  DEMOCRACY  319 

tion.  Business  is  bewildered  by  tlie  maze  of  com¬ 
plicated  statutory  law,  much  of  it  apparently  harm¬ 
less,  but  all  of  it  very  perplexing  to  any  honest  citizen 
who  wishes  to  be  law  abiding.  Simplicity  of  design 
is  the  foundation  stone  of  success,  but  how  far  we 
travel  from  simplicity,  in  these  powerful  meddling 
influences,  which  claim  to  regulate  the  ebb  and  flow 
of  the  tides  of  industry.  Is  this  a  Free  Country? 
ihen  keep  it  free.  When  it  comes  to  comparing 
Common  Law  with  Statutory  enactments,  we  need 
another  Blackstone  to  put  into  one  volume  the  gen¬ 
eral  rules  and  regulations  of  National  and  State  busi¬ 
ness  operations,  and  all  these  special  themes  upon 
themes,  statutes  upon  statutes,  decisions  upon  sta¬ 
tutes,  and  decisions  upon  decisions,  may  better  be 
relegated  to  the  past,  and  under  the  Common  Law 
and  Constitution  of  these  United  States,  present 
the  business  men  of  America  with  a  clean  slate,  that 
they  may  write  upon  the  tablets  of  history  the 
Magna  Charta  of  Industrial  Freedom. 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 


THE  highest  ideals  and  the  noblest  gems  of 
thought  are  the  heritage  of  the  youth  of  Amer¬ 
ica,  to  hold  inviolate  our  sacred  emblems  of 
liberty,  and  advance  them  to  further  enlightenment. 
If  we  are  successfully  to  achieve  the  elevation  of  our 
social  and  political  standards,  with  malice  toward 
none  and  with  justice  toward  all,  we  must  seek  out 
those  avenues  of  truth  which  engender  lofty  motives 
and  noble  aspirations,  and  bestow  true  fellowship 
upon  every  brother,  making  our  conception  of  the 
neighborhood  of  life  so  broad  as  to  include  every 
man,  woman,  and  child,  of  every  land,  race,  or  creed, 
thus  enjoining  inestimable  blessings  upon  this  land 
of  ours,  and  universal  peace  and  good-will  abroad. 
The  man  who  gives  is  blessed,  not  he  who  takes  away 
from  others,  for  the  good-will  of  others  is  far  more 
precious  than  wealth  or  territory.  What  greater  act 
did  the  French  people  perform  than  to  place  their 
gift  of  the  Statue  of  Liberty  in  New  York  Harbor,  to 
cement  eternal  bonds  of  friendship?  The  man  who 
can  be  a  good  loser,  whose  heart  burns  with  such 
unquenchable  love  for  his  fellowmen  that  he  cannot 
accumulate  property  while  others  are  in  want,  lives 
the  noblest,  for  his  life  is  wrapt  up  in  service  to  his 
brother  men  and  in  usefulness  to  society,  to  achieve 
the  glorious  destiny  of  humanity  by  fraternal  effort. 

320 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  321 

Through  the  stern  determination  of  our  fore¬ 
fathers  to  establish  here  in  America  an  atmosphere  of 
freedom  of  conscience,  the  enjoyment  of  life,  and  lib¬ 
erty,  and  the  pursuit  of  happiness,  and  to  maintain 
the  equality  before  the  law  of  all  men,  that  free  institu¬ 
tions  might  not  perish  from  the  earth,  we  have  now 
this  glorious  republic,  founded  and  preserved  through 
blood  and  the  bitter  tears  of  strife,  yet  resplendent 
with  Honor  and  noble  deeds.  And  we,  with  all  other 
brothers  in  Patriotism,  Americans  free  born,  sever¬ 
ally  salute  and  pledge  allegiance  to  Our  Flag  and  the 
Brotherhood  of  Man,  inseparable  and  united  forever 
in  Liberty,  until  we  meet  again  beyond,  where  there 
is  no  parting  of  the  ways,  and  sorrow  never  conies, 
where  mankind  finds  the  summum  bonum  of  ideals, 
the  realm  of  indefinable  broader  brotherhood,  the 
heaven  of  Love.  Let  judges  and  jurors.  Courts  and 
commissions,  justices  and  statesmen,  give  their  ut¬ 
most  efforts,  time,  and  mental  power  to  the  discrimi¬ 
nation  between  good  and  evil,  between  right  and 
wrong,  between  truth  and  error,  between  justice  and 
injustice,  to  engender  and  support  good  citizenship, 
honest  rulers,  and  fair  business  methods,  and  not  to 
punish  every  mistake,  every  failure,  and  every  crim¬ 
inal,  degraded  and  deserving  though  he  may  be. 
Ignorance  of  the  law  is  no  excuse,  and  protects  none, 
but  charity  of  the  law  may  forgive.  Destruction  is 
not  reformation,  punishment  is  not  correction,  and 
can  we  not  make  life  better  and  brighter,  rather  than 
cast  deeper  shadows  into  every  darkness  of  cruel 
despair?  Cannot  society  say  to  every  erring  brother, 
“Our  love,  compassion,  and  assistance,  are  turned 


322 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


toward  you,  and  will  follow  you  every  day  of  your  life, 
and  we  have  learned  that  forgiveness  of  error  baffles 
the  ingenuity  of  crime”  ? 

Too  long  we  have  accepted  traditional  views  with¬ 
out  thought,  seeking  refuge  in  ideas  of  supernatural 
powers,  which  are  not  supported  by  definite  facts  or 
causes,  but  are  to  us  sacred  doctrines  of  mystery, 
not  to  be  lived  and  practised,  but  to  be  believed  and 
held  aloft  from  the  lives  and  influence  of  common 
men.  No  element  of  reason  enters  into  these  vague, 
inherent  conceptions  and  imaginary  emotions,  but  in 
mystical  contentment,  real,  live,  educated  men,  with 
innate  inalienable  power  to  succor  and  comfort  their 
fellowmen,  fly  to  lofty  realms  of  irrational,  unintel¬ 
ligent,  argumentative  impotence,  and  are  simply  dif¬ 
ferent  from  others.  The  cost  to  knowledge  of  an  oc¬ 
casional  experimental  error  is  nothing  in  comparison 
with  adhering  to  dubious  dogmas  as  certainties  in  this 
life  where  nothing  is  certain  but  death  and  taxes. 
Society  itself  is  constantly  under  the  strain  of  evolu¬ 
tion,  and  there  is  no  completeness  in  our  finite  life, 
and  no  individual  perfection,  for  each  of  us  lives  not 
to  himself  alone,  but  to  others,  in  a  broader  social  life, 
where  we  are  not  to  judge,  not  to  condemn,  not  to 
seek  our  own,  but  to  aid  the  needy,  succor  the  friend¬ 
less,  visit  the  sick,  obtain  employment  for  those  out 
of  work,  bring  courage  to  the  fearful  heart  and  joy 
to  the  sorrowing,  in  virtue  and  liberty  to  increase 
honor  and  personal  efficiency,  for  our  highest  happi¬ 
ness  is  to  share  our  pleasures  and  alleviate  sorrow. 

The  normal  state  of  an  active  human  mind  is  a 
condition  of  thinking  and  acting  under  the  driving 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  323 

power  of  the  force  of  ambition.  Men  accomplish  re¬ 
sults  when  they  attain  the  capability  of  concentrat¬ 
ing  all  power  upon  one  particularly  important  sub¬ 
ject,  until  that  subject  is  thoroughly  and  finally  mas¬ 
tered  and  solved.  The  finished  article  of  thought  is 
the  solution,  expressed  in  such  concrete  form  that  it 
is  easily  understood,  and  can  be  applied  in  practice 
by  others.  America  needs  men  whose  pulses  throb 
with  boundless  living  physical  power  in  every  limb, 
men  of  healthy  normal  thought  and  keen  visions, 
men  who  can  see,  men  who  can  hear,  men  who  can 
toil  silently  and  effectively.  The  true  fundamental 
prerogative  of  business  is  to  supply  people  with  neces¬ 
sities  or  luxuries,  and  ninety -five  per  cent,  of  our  suc¬ 
cessful  business  men  have  discovered  their  source  of 
fortune,  in  supplying  common,  every-day  needs  of 
men  in  their  home  cities;  and  they  win,  not  by  edu¬ 
cation  nor  by  luck,  but  always  by  an  extraordinary 
capacity  for  hard  work.  The  man  whose  mind  is 
fertile  in  resources  has  also  the  qualifications  of  self- 
respect  and  enthusiasm  for  his  work,  and  his  will¬ 
power,  application,  and  determination,  will  win  the 
day.  A  prominent  New  York  newspaper  claimed 
that  one  of  its  advertisers  advertised  for  a  book¬ 
keeper  at  sixty  dollars  a  month  and  received  five 
hundred  and  two  replies  to  one  insertion,  but  when 
advertising  for  a  mechanic  at  the  same  wages  re¬ 
ceived  very  few  replies.  Our  young  men  are  too 
often  educated  to  dress-suit  jobs  only,  and  this  is 
something  to  think  over  very  seriously.  Train  every 
youth  to  fulfil  a  man’s  duty  in  life,  to  work  with  both 
muscle  and  wit,  to  develop  judgment  and  inventive 


324 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


genius,  to  keep  the  muscles  hard,  the  body  strong, 
and  to  dispatch  business  affairs  with  energy,  prompt¬ 
ness,  skill,  and  knowledge.  Success  in  business  is 
achieved  in  the  same  manner  as  a  ship  crosses  the 
ocean.  The  course  is  set  right,  and  then  continued, 
until  they  reach  the  other  side.  So  the  business  man 
lays  his  plans  for  trade,  and  then  attends  to  all  the 
business  faithfully,  accommodatingly,  and  energeti¬ 
cally,  as  it  comes  in;  we  say  he  deserves  success,  and 
he  does  deserve  it,  and  generally  gets  it. 

Love  for  the  artistic  and  the  beautiful  is  developed 
in  Americans  to  a  high  degree,  and  every  artisan, 
inventor  and  genius,  is  toiling  to  please  this  tempera¬ 
ment  of  culture.  Public  libraries  in  every  city 
abound  in  works  of  art,  sculptures,  and  paintings, 
the  enjoyment  of  which  is  a  privilege  of  the  lowliest 
as  well  as  the  greatest.  Railroad  stations  at  termi¬ 
nals  are  beautiful  palaces,  as  we  find  the  general  wait¬ 
ing  room  at  the  Union  Station  at  the  City  of  Wash¬ 
ington  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  modeled  after 
the  Baths  of  Diocletian  in  Rome,  and  the  inter¬ 
mediate  stations  are  being  built  of  marble  and  gran¬ 
ite,  with  well-laid-out  lawns  and  gardens,  so  that  the 
traveller  enjoys  trees  and  shrubbery,  birds  and  land¬ 
scapes,  flowers  and  scenery,  the  beauty  and  wealth 
of  the  world,  displayed  in  panorama  before  his  eyes. 
In  no  other  nation  are  beauty  and  perfection  wor¬ 
shipped  among  all  classes  of  the  people  as  in  demo¬ 
cratic  America,  as  we  find  in  visitations  to  our  Uni¬ 
versities  and  schools  of  higher  thought  and  learning, 
where  the  children  of  the  humblest  study  the  artistic, 
the  noble,  and  the  good,  and  no  avenue  to  the  devel- 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  325 

opment  of  genius  and  wisdom  is  closed,  but  the 
development  of  every  noble  and  lofty  aspiration  is 
encouraged.  The  world’s  greatest  literature  is  com¬ 
mon  property  in  America  and  humanity  has  here 
unlimited  sources  of  self-instruction  always  at  hand, 
where  lofty  minds  can  daily  meet  and  converse  with 
divine  spirits  of  the  past.  The  realm  of  learning 
never  loses  what  it  gains,  but  keeps  all  in  store,  and 
Americans  have  in  most  beautifully  bound  preserved 
volumes  all  that  is  best  from  the  world’s  highest 
genius.  Poetry  and  music  add  sunshine  and  sweet 
harmony  to  American  culture,  and  in  our  churches 
and  theatres  all  the  grand  marches  and  melodies 
constantly  renew  in  the  present  every  beautiful, 
altruistic,  and  cultured  ideal  of  the  past. 

America  has  caught  visions  of  truth  and  virtue,  c* 
simplicity  and  symmetry,  of  the  relation  of  the  com¬ 
binations  of  colors  and  sounds  to  human  emotions 
and  associations.  Our  literature  portrays  the  life  of 
the  people,  the  expression  of  systematic  order,  of 
courageous  self-reliance,  and  cultured  fair  dealing,  in 
a  dignified  and  conscious  manner.  Admiring  readers 
are  moved  by  the  moral  and  intellectual  power  of  the 
serious  purpose  and  instinctive  responsibility  of  the 
objective  study  of  humanitarianism  among  the 
American  people,  dealing  frankly  with  life,  both  as 
it  is  and  as  it  may  be  improved,  with  the  objective 
in  view  to  open  the  way  for  every  ambitious  and 
talented  person  to  have  the  opportunity  to  toil 
effectively,  thus  raising  continually  the  average  level 
of  popular  intelligence,  adding  new  contributions  to 
higher  education,  and  increasing  the  general  store  of 


326 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


learning  in  philosophy,  in  science,  and  in  art.  Knowl¬ 
edge  and  virtue  are  generally  diffused  through  the 
free  intercourse  of  the  people,  and  the  next  step  in 
progress  is  to  unify  and  assimilate  our  stores  of  truth 
and  wisdom,  to  increase  frugality,  industry,  sin¬ 
cerity,  and  benevolence,  to  learn  to  think  concisely 
and  independently,  and  act  conservatively,  with 
nobleness  of  purpose.  Train  noisy  enthusiasm  into 
the  harness  of  hard  work,  with  definite  objectives  in 
view,  and  teach  men  individualism  in  their  trade 
and  calling,  but  communism  in  their  relationships  to 
National  ideals.  The  central  thought  of  this  idea  is 
that  if  only  men  can  know  each  other  better,  strife, 
envy,  and  discord  will  cease,  and  they  will  be  good 
and  faithful  friends,  charitably  inclined  to  assist 
every  good  project,  and  never  to  question  and  inter¬ 
fere  with  every  developing  activity  and  purpose  in 
human  enterprise.  It  is  the  work  of  republics  to 
emblazon  in  golden  characters  upon  the  chronicles  of 
human  events  the  humanities,  the  rights  of  man,  the 
sympathy  and  co-operation  of  all  for  the  common 
good  and  welfare  of  men  everywhere;  and  to  accom¬ 
plish  this  great  purpose,  sympathy  must  never  be 
merely  sentimental  nor  romantic,  but  a  deep,  al¬ 
truistic,  comprehensive  love  of  men,  inclusive  and 
boundlessly  operative,  simply  because  of  the  presence 
of  this  human  equation  in  our  commentary  of  the 
privilege  and  duties  of  existence. 

There  is  a  secret  in  working  and  waiting  for  results, 
with  confidence  that  results  follow  labor  as  the  night 
the  day.  Men  differ  in  the  amount  of  vigor  with 
which  they  apply  their  talents  to  work,  and  if  we 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  327 

measure  the  vigor,  we  measure  the  man.  The  ac¬ 
complishment  of  a  great  artist  or  scientist  depends 
only  in  part  upon  his  education,  his  knowledge,  his 
skill,  and  his  appliances,  and  primarily  arises  from 
his  ability  to  vigorously  concentrate  his  talents  upon 
the  labor.  Fine  tools  will  become  dull,  and  skill  and 
knowledge  valueless,  unless  an  active,  vigorous  mind 
drives  thought  to  action.  Self-reliance  and  confi¬ 
dence  are  self-assertive  qualities,  without  which  most 
exceptional  attainments  rust  away  uselessly.  The 
vigor  of  activity  makes  no  distinction  and  no  excep¬ 
tions,  but  plunges  toward  the  goal;  great  shadows 
•scatter,  barriers  are  burned  away,  and  difficulties 
are  easily  surmounted,  when  men  cease  circumspec¬ 
tion  and  theories,  and  meet  every  adversity  face  to 
face,  plunging  in  thrust  upon  thrust,  with  the  naked 
sword  of  their  grim  determination,  that  the  objective 
in  view  shall  be  accomplished  at  the  sacrifice  of  life 
itself,  if  need  be.  Confidence  and  vigorous  action 
at  once  beget  confidence  and  unfailing  friends,  and 
there  is  no  leader  so  insignificant  who  does  not  at¬ 
tract  a  following  the  minute  he  reveals  to  men  his 
qualifications  for  leadership.  Men  follow  leaders 
not  creeds,  systems  not  theories,  action  not  motives; 
and  here  lies  the  explanation  of  mob  eccentricity,  and 
the  leader  who  perceives  this  characteristic  has 
learned  the  source  of  his  power  over  men.  There  is  a 
glory  to  intelligence,  an  eloquence  to  confidence,  a 
vindication  in  accomplished  results  and  objectives 
attained,  which  men  read,  and  the  respect  of  men  for 
men  cannot  exceed  the  self-respect  of  the  respected 
for  themselves. 


328 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


The  innate  will  of  man  demands  the  subjugation 
of  all  things  to  itself,  and  is  tempered  only  by  culti¬ 
vated,  unselfish  generosity,  of  which  the  foundation 
pillars  are  fraternity  and  fair  play.  Inventors  form, 
with  their  own  hands,  the  models  and  designs  of  great 
mechanical  inventions,  while  all  great  masterworks  of 
literature,  painting,  and  art,  are  designed,  written, 
moulded,  or  portrayed  upon  canvas  by  the  authors 
in  their  own  handiwork.  Americans  are  a  people  of 
active  unrest,  demanding  individual  opportunity  to 
labor  effectively.  We  shall  never  turn  back,  and 
never  falter,  but  keep  in  mind  for  the  nation,  as  for 
the  individual,  all  for  one  and  one  for  all,  with  the 
singleness  of  purpose  to  promote  and  engender  a 
universal  brotherhood  to  which  no  man  or  woman 
shall  be  a  stranger.  The  enforced  authority  of  caste 
may  in  a  minor  degree  exist  even  in  a  family,  as  the 
Irishman  beat  his  son  saying:  “’Tis  not  because  I 
hate  you,  I  bate  you,  but  to  show  the  authority  I 
have  over  you.”  The  power  of  brute  force  control 
must  be  overcome  and  vanquished  by  civilization 
and  altruism,  and  the  ultimate  end  of  labor  should 
never  be  profit,  but  the  elevation  of  the  standard  of 
welfare,  that  each  works  to  live,  and  lives  for  the 
common  good.  This  simply  removes  the  innate  de¬ 
sire  of  man  to  attain  progressive  ideals  of  beneficial 
service,  from  the  individual  to  the  nation,  and  from 
nationalism  to  the  race.  Sturdy,  self-made  men  are 
easily  distinguished  from  those  propped  up  by  wealth 
and  family  influence,  and  when  the  test  comes,  abuse, 
ridicule,  and  threatened  defeat  only  arouse  vigorous 
manhood  to  fierce  tenacity  of  purpose,  and  the  world 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  329 

is  changed  by  mental  heroes,  who  call  the  race  from 
barbarism  to  charitable  good-will. 

The  attitude  of  a  race  worker  is  not  that  of  im¬ 
petuous  strain,  but  of  mind  immovably  concentrated 
upon  its  objective,  and  criticism  is  accepted  only 
when  it  points  out  a  misunderstanding  of  some  local 
cause,  effect,  or  relationship.  Critics  must  have  the 
faculty  of  achieving  their  own  success,  with  level¬ 
headed,  well-balanced  development,  or  they  will  be 
more  a  provocation  and  hindrance  than  assistance. 
A  successful  director  only  tells  his  orderly  what  to  do, 
and  never  details  to  him  how  to  do  it,  leaving  that  to 
his  own  personal  common  sense  and  custom,  unless 
it  is  desired  to  teach  him  some  special  method  or  short 
schedule  of  action.  The  man  who  can  conceive  great 
plans  can  scarcely  fail  to  perceive  also  the  inter¬ 
mediate  approaches  to  the  several  avenues  of  develop¬ 
ment,  leading  to  the  central  thought,  for  having  both 
points  of  objective  in  view,  the  connecting  line  be¬ 
tween  is  plainly  visible,  and  the  servant  seldom  lacks 
such  power  of  discrimination  as  shows  him  the  short¬ 
est  avenue  of  approach  when  once  the  beginning  is 
made.  We  can  never  have  true  reform  except  the 
public  universally  accept  the  change.  No  reform  is 
accomplished  by  statute  nor  by  force,  but  only  when 
it  is  in  complete,  accepted  operation  within  the  social 
structure.  A  man  becomes  an  oarsman  when  his 
hand  is  calloused  to  friction,  his  waist  strengthened 
to  strain,  and  his  arm,  mind,  and  eye  trained  to  invol¬ 
untary  performance  of  the  necessary  exertions.  lie 
does  not  become  an  oarsman  by  chance  but  by  effort 
and  hard  practice;  and,  likewise,  men  learn  their 


330 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


trades  and  increase  mental  and  physical  ability,  never 
by  chance,  but  by  conscious,  intelligent  effort.  If  we 
can  only  teach  men  to  help  themselves,  and  exert  this 
effort  in  improving  personal  talent,  they  will  work  out 
their  own  salvation,  and  we  need  never  worry  how, 
where,  or  why,  but  aim  only  to  cause  the  concentra¬ 
tion  of  mind  and  muscle  upon  the  attainment  of  the 
objectives  in  view. 

It  is  thoughts  of  real  life  that  interest  men,  and 
writers  and  orators  hold  attention  when  they  relate 
what  they  have  lived  through,  what  they  have  ex¬ 
perienced,  and  what  they  have  seen  and  known.  The 
lens,  concentrating  the  rays  of  the  sun,  will  burn  a 
hole  wherever  it  strikes,  and  so  when  men  concen¬ 
trate  their  life  experience  into  literature  and  art,  it 
cuts  its  mark  upon  the  hearts  of  men  as  a  diamond 
upon  glass.  Every  educated  man  has  the  ability  to 
accomplish  great  things,  but  if  the  care  of  property 
and  the  demands  of  society  dissipate  his  time,  his  life 
is  spent  in  controversy  and  gossip;  but  put  this  same 
man  upon  the  firing  line,  free  from  diversion,  and  he 
will  immediately  concentrate  his  ability  upon  some 
definite,  attainable  purpose.  The  courageous  man 
creates  zeal  in  others  by  his  personal  magnetic  quali¬ 
ties,  manfully  encountering  opposition  and  difficul¬ 
ties,  and  courageously  enduring  toil  and  hardships. 
The  teaching  and  command  of  every  successful  leader 
are  always  positive :  “  Steady,  now,  Forward  March,” 
and  as  the  line  moves  forward,  meet  and  overcome  all 
difficulties  which  are  presented.  Before  the  march 
is  under  way,  the  advancing  army  arranges,  as  far  as 
possible,  to  dispose  of  all  anticipated  opposition, 


331 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 

preparing  necessary  accoutrement,  tools,  and  equip¬ 
ment,  but  leaves  the  actual  solution  of  every  problem 
until  it  is  met  face  to  face.  No  man  achieves  notable 
success  who  is  not  prepared:  also  no  notable  success 
is  achieved  except  at  some  actual  risk  in  the  making. 
As  the  doomed  ship  was  about  to  break  up,  and  the 
sailors  despaired  of  even  saving  their  lives,  in  the 
often-related  story,  a  young  seaman  tied  a  cord  about 
his  waist,  swam  to  the  shore,  hauled  in  a  rope,  and 
fastened  it  to  a  tree,  and  saved  the  crew.  He  com¬ 
bined  his  ability  to  swim  with  the  daring  to  risk  his 
life  in  the  elements,  and  success  was  his  reward.  Men 
are  intensely  interested  in  the  adventures  and  activi¬ 
ties  of  men;  timidity  is  a  moral  blemish,  and  fear  a 
mental  deformity;  these  the  winner  must  overcome, 
and  then  add  common  sense  to  caution  and  indomit¬ 
able  courage,  to  reach  the  goal. 

The  enthusiastic  man  is  not  only  a  good  companion, 
but  generally  makes  ends  meet  ends.  The  man  who 
seeks  beauty  in  nature,  songs  in  the  running  brooks, 
sermons  in  stones,  and  good  in  everything,  is  more 
than  merely  a  good-natured  optimist;  we  find  him 
moulding  good  out  of  evil  and  practical  results  out  of 
impossible  circumstances.  The  man  who  would  erect 
a  high  structure  must  first  work  under  most  disagree¬ 
able  circumstances,  perhaps  in  quicksand  or  bedded 
rock,  he  digs  a  deep  foundation,  and  that  is  all  neces¬ 
sary,  but  after  the  foundation  is  complete,  he  mounts 
higher,  and  works  in  the  glorious  sunshine.  By 
faithful  toil  in  lowly  life  we  prove  our  worth  for 
greater,  more  lofty  enterprises,  but  discontent  never 
accomplishes  anything,  acting  only  as  a  drag  to  dis- 


332 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


courage  and  hinder  others.  Enthusiasm  with  a 
magic  wand  touches  the  tongue  with  poetry  and 
song,  and  inspires  lofty  sentiments  and  good  resolu¬ 
tions.  Enthusiasm  meets  toil  and  hardship,  and  sees 
only  the  hope  beyond,  transforming  despair  into 
confidence,  slothfulness  into  energy,  and  vain  en¬ 
deavor  into  accomplishment.  Life  is  a  ladder  upon 
which  men  climb  as  high  as  their  ambition  soars,  and 
the  man  who  cannot  be  provoked,  but  willingly 
beareth  all  things  and  endureth  all  things,  seldom 
endures  vainly,  for  hard-working,  prudent  men  never 
have  to  complain  of  hard  luck.  The  enthusiastic 
man  generally  sleeps  soundly,  has  a  good  appetite 
meets  every  experience  of  life  with  a  smile,  and  his 
cheerful  disposition  adds  harmony  and  contentment 
to  the  every-day  living  of  his  friends. 

The  man  who  is  careful,  who  makes  an  exhaustive 
study  of  every  subject,  and  finishes  every  project 
completely  before  he  leaves  it,  is  the  man  who  earns 
a  reputation  for  honest  efficiency.  The  aeroplane 
may  crash  to  the  ground  if  the  small,  insignificant, 
directive  lever  snaps  or  fails  to  clutch  the  rudder;  one 
weak  link  in  a  chain  renders  the  whole  unserviceable ; 
and  a  small  amount  of  foreign  substance  in  the  muz¬ 
zle  of  a  rifle  will  cause  the  barrel  to  explode.  Work  in 
preparation  counts  double,  as  the  pilot  who  studies 
navigation  charts  after  the  vessel  has  struck  a  rock 
is  like  the  man  who  gives  advice  after  the  damage  is 
wrought,  and  lessons  are  learned  by  the  hard  road  of 
•  experience.  It  is  saving  the  pennies  that  makes  the 
dollars,  and  attending  to  little  things  that  makes  a 
complete  and  perfect  whole.  “There  are  thousands 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  333 

of  excellent  physicians  in  America,  why  do  you  ex¬ 
cel?”  was  asked  of  a  famous  surgeon.  “Because 
I  never  neglect  the  smallest  trifle,”  he  replied.  It 
is  an  old  saying:  “A  thin  horse  for  a  long  race”,  and 
nothing  does  a  young  lawyer  so  much  good  as  to  be 
defeated,  baffled,  and  rebuffed  until  in  desperation  he 
fights  hard  and  learns  that  the  greatest  men  can  be 
easily  defeated  in  an  unjust  cause.  It  is  related  of  a 
famous  author  that  he  read  ten  thousand  books  to 
write  a  masterpiece,  and  left  no  corner  of  literary 
thought  unexplored  before  he  ventured  upon  his  road 
to  achievement.  The  engineer  who  gets  the  big  job 
is  the  man  who  can  plan  out  diagrams  of  a  prospective 
tunnel  so  that  the  sections  will  meet  without  the 
variation  of  an  inch  at  the  centre,  concisely  comput¬ 
ing  every  distance  and  dimension  to  an  absolute 
exactness  of  perfection.  It  takes  time,  it  takes  care, 
it  takes  hard  work,  but  the  final  results  are  worthy  of 
the  price  paid. 

If  the  sacredness  of  life  means  anything,  it  means 
the  development  of  active  ethical  rules  of  conduct 
put  in  practice,  and  not  passive  theories  held  men¬ 
tally  in  check,  for  the  consideration  of  generation 
after  generation,  playing  with  terms  and  words.  Life 
is  real,  and  we  need  real,  live  men,  not  with  imagina¬ 
tions  but  with  deep  experience  and  ability.  The 
need  is  to  study  and  perceive  real  perils  among  men, 
to  preach  sanity  and  logic,  to  dispel  panicky  fears,  to 
seek  a  remedy  for  every  ill. 

Society  is  full  of  imperfections,  but  it  is  a  seething 
mass  where  the  evil  is  constantly  brought  to  view, 
and  may  be  easily  eradicated  by  consistent,  correc- 


OO  A 

•w  zi 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


live,  eliminative  effort.  Our  perfect  state  of  bliss  is 
not  yet  a  realization,  and  mankind  will  require  the 
application  of  dynamic  force  upon  many  generations, 
to  remove  even  preventable  vices  and  sufferings  from 
our  midst,  so  knowledge  and  power  are  everywhere 
in  demand  to-day,  and  blessed  is  he  who  spends  his 
life  making  smooth  the  rough  places  of  men’s  lives, 
providing  aid,  cheer,  comfort,  and  the  necessities  of 
life  to  those  in  need.  Practical  common  sense  con¬ 
stantly  conflicts  with  ideals,  because  the  thought 
of  man,  not  in  close  constant  touch  and  sympathy 
with  his  fellowmen,  is  fantastic  and  unreasoning. 
His  conception  of  equality  is  the  best  for  himself, 
and  inequality  for  all  others,  and  often  men  struggle 
to  share  in  every  contention  and  argument,  not  be¬ 
cause  of  any  personal  interest  or  knowledge  of  the 
application  of  principles,  but  like  the  political  stump 
speaker,  to  be  seen,  to  be  heard,  and  to  have  their 
say.  Can  we  not  bring  our  lives  down  to  hard  real 
facts,  admit  society  is  imperfect,  admit  we  have  the 
power  to  accomplish  improvements  of  society,  and 
wherever  we  can  perceive  the  damaging  conditions, 
make  it  our  personal  business  to  understand  them, 
seek  out  and  find  a  remedy,  and  then  apply  the  rem¬ 
edy?  The  worst  we  can  do  is  to  seek  out  and  guess 
at  a  remedy  and  then  ask  some  one  else  to  apply  it. 

Justice  is  a  term  as  evasive  as  injustice,  and  it  is 
equally  necessary  to  quiet  loud  complaints  as  to  re¬ 
move  the  condition  by  which  they  are  aroused.  Men 
defeated  in  politics  are  so  filled  with  prejudice  and 
antagonisms  as  never  to  be  able  to  discuss  fairly  the 
merits  of  their  defeat.  But  often  people,  disap- 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  335 

pointed  in  social  leadership,  are  equally  difficult  to 
reconcile,  and  their  undigested  notions  of  intentional 
insults,  where  no  intent  was  even  remotely  dreamed 
of,  to  wound  their  vanity,  stir  every  social  sea,  and 
place  every  friend  in  the  dilemma  of  losing  their 
friendship,  by  telling  them  the  truth,  or  playing  the 
delicate  part  of  straddling  the  fence  between  the  con¬ 
tending  parties.  Social  schemers  thus  hold  excessive 
power  without  labor  or  responsibility,  deceive  them¬ 
selves  in  a  false  belief  that  they  are  useful  members  of 
society,  and  the  injustice  of  this  social  tyranny  of 
impressions  and  delusions  is  apparent  to  all  workers 
who  aim  to  accomplish  permanent,  consistent  results. 
There  is  no  social  independence  in  reality,  no  method 
to  avoid  illogical  nightmares  of  notions  and  emo¬ 
tions,  but  strong  and  mighty  is  the  man  who  dares 
stand  out  brave  and  true  and  demands  justice. 
Against  the  social  and  political  elect,  he  who  faces 
the  crowd  in  the  cause  of  right  always  sooner  or 
later  wins  over  the  crowd  to  the  realization  of  the 
beatitudes  of  truth. 

The  educated  men  of  the  race  have  planned  out, 
wrought  upon,  and  accomplished  the  vast  achieve¬ 
ments  credited  to  the  progress  of  man,  while  the  poor 
downtrodden  hosts  have  toiled,  sweated,  and  pro¬ 
vided  protection  and  sustenance.  It  is  not  the  part 
of  wisdom  to  suggest  or  encourage  impossible  dreams 
and  illusionary  ambitions  in  the  minds  of  mediocre 
men  and  women  for  these  have  brought  untold  hard¬ 
ships  to  many,  and  unless,  by  temperament  or  educa¬ 
tion,  youth  is  trained  to  selective  opportunities,  the 
road  is  hard,  if  not  utterly  impossible,  for  a  matured 


336 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


mind  to  alter  both  vocation  and  training,  and  by  some 
mysterious  conquest  of  will-power  to  gain  heights  of 
fame  and  ease.  Better  contentment  and  sufficiency, 
than  worry  and  unproductive  toil,  and  success  does 
not  always  consist  in  wealth  and  station,  even  if  by 
any  possibility  such  may  be  acquired.  The  man  who 
loses  honorably  and  squarely  is  a  better  man  than 
he  who  wins  unfairly,  and  the  tinted  violet  blushing 
in  the  shady  dell  is  far  more  beautiful  than  many  a 
larger,  flashier  flower  of  highway  fame. 

There  is  a  voice  of  reason  in  every  man,  which 
stands  ready  to  solve  every  social  problem,  and  decide 
every  issue  of  life,  if  we  only  apply  the  measure :  ‘  Ts  it 
right  or  is  it  wrong  ?  ”  Man’s  inhumanity  to  man  has 
made  countless  thousands  mourn,  and  this  is  the  func¬ 
tion  of  the  human  equation,  to  eradicate  man’s  in¬ 
humanity,  and  upon  the  foundation  stones  of  self- 
sacrifice,  love,  and  service,  to  render  man’s  suffi¬ 
ciency  for  all,  and  the  alleviation  of  the  sorrow-pangs 
of  vengeance,  tribulation,  and  deadly  strife.  At  the 
merest  suggestion  of  scandal  against  a  fellowman, 
tongues  wag,  and  every  door  of  sympathy,  assistance, 
and  correction  is  closed,  not  that  men  are  intention¬ 
ally  uncharitable,  but  because  of  envy,  vanity,  and 
deceit,  and  every  fall  of  virtue  lends  a  charm  of 
excuse  for  personal  shortcomings.  Let  him  who  is 
perfect  repeat  reports  of  men’s  frailty,  but  it  is  the 
essence  of  charity  and  brotherly  love  to  consider  the 
suffering  hearts  of  those  who  love  the  fallen,  and  do 
to  others  as  we  would  have  them  do  to  us.  There 
are  so  many  big  things  in  life  that  in  dealing  with  the 
faults  of  others  we  need  only  charity  to  forgive,  con- 


337 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 

solation  for  the  attendant  sufferings,  and  exhortation 
to  lead  a  better  life. 

Punishment  should  never  be  meted  out  by  man  to 
man  except  as  an  influence  for  correction  or  as  a  nec¬ 
essary  protection  to  society.  It  is  our  duty  to  alleviate 
suffering,  not  to  increase  it;  and  by  placing  retaliative 
punishment  upon  a  wrongdoer,  we  redouble  the 
efficiency  of  crime  to  cause  discord  and  turmoil. 
Righteousness  is  an  everlasting  fountain,  and  love 
covereth  all  sins,  and  if  we  only  can  teach  the  people 
wisdom  and  charity,  envy  and  strife  will  cease.  A 
friend  loveth  at  all  times  and  a  brother  is  made  for 
adversity;  love  must  never  depend  upon  causes  and 
benefits  received  to  be  true  love,  but  must  rise  in 
the  soul,  a  bubbling  spring  of  kindly,  consciously 
thoughtful  consideration  for  the  best  welfare  of 
others,  the  living  waters  of  the  beautiful  things  of 
life,  a  joy  forever.  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun  and 
another  of  the  moon,  but  the  wise  shall  inherit  glory, 
and  shall  not  lack  any  good  thing.  Just  as  a  soft 
answer  turneth  away  wrath,  love  quencheth  vio¬ 
lence,  and  we  can  overcome  evil  with  good.  Except 
under  the  most  extenuating  circumstances  we  can¬ 
not  use  fire,  the  power  and  source  of  destruction,  to 
quench  fire,  but  we  use  water,  the  source  of  life,  to 
quench  fire,  the  source  of  destruction. 

The  poor  and  the  sorrowing  we  have  with  us  al¬ 
ways,  so  long  as  our  life  is  finite,  for  man  is  born  to 
suffering  and  tribulation  as  the  sparks  fly  upward. 
In  the  exuberancy  of  youth  the  frailty  of  man  is  for¬ 
gotten  in  the  strength  of  manhood,  and  in  the  days  of 
age,  the  heart  throbs  of  compassion  are  dulled  by  stiff 


338 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


joints  and  debility.  But  it  is  well  worth  our  while, 
time  and  time  again,  to  contemplate  the  lives  of  un¬ 
selfish  men,  whose  good  deeds  and  usefulness  have  been 
limited  only  by  the  natural  boundaries  of  restrictions 
upon  opportunity.  As  we  look  up  and  lift  up,  no 
diamond  can  ever  flash  with  diviner  beauty  than  that 
of  the  drop  of  pure  water,  sparkling  in  the  warm  sun¬ 
shine,  which  cools  the  parched  tongue  of  the  suffering 
soldier  on  the  field  of  battle.  No  red  carnations  are 
so  fragrant  or  beautiful  as  those  which  sweet  charity 
prompts  us  to  wreathe  upon  the  brow  of  sadness,  to 
cheer  the  bed  of  sickness  and  pain.  No  sentiments 
are  so  holy  as  those  which  bestow  blessings  and  useful 
service  to  a  famished  world.  The  birds  warble  in  the 
tree  tops,  the  dewdrops  form  upon  the  grass,  the 
rain  falls  from  heaven  upon  the  just  and  unjust,  while 
bright  sunshine  equally  warms  weeds  and  flowers, 
all  for  the  boundless,  universal  welfare  of  man;  and 
shall  the  heart  of  man  fail  to  reflect  the  completeness 
and  loving  harmony  of  nature?  It  takes  a  terrible 
calamity  to  thoroughly  arouse  the  deep,  generous 
charity  of  a  nation,  but  the  world  increases  in  gentle¬ 
ness  and  compassion,  as  death  places  vacant  chairs 
in  home  circles,  stirring  love  with  sympathy,  awaken¬ 
ing  conscience  with  suffering,  and  engendering  gener¬ 
ous  noble  deeds  to  assuage  the  mother’s  grief  for  her 
dead  babe,  or  fill  the  little  hands  of  orphans  with 
hospitality  and  cheer.  The  education  of  the  human 
heart  in  boundless  nobility  proceeds  amid  the  blackest 
clouds  of  horrible  disaster,  as  the  diseases  of  men  are 
healed  and  their  glorious  destiny  shown  by  kind  words 
and  loving  deeds. 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  339 

Charity  likewise  must  be  extended  from  politics 
and  society  into  business  and  government,  for  we 
have  lost  the  services  of  our  greatest  leaders  and 
statesmen  in  affairs,  because  of  their  fear  of  being 
turned  out  of  office,  branded  as  incompetent,  because 
they  know  that  the  putting  into  practice  of  their 
theories  of  much-needed  system  and  order  will  be 
temporarily  unpopular.  J ust  as  men  should  not  give 
much  advice,  but  carefully  advise  well,  if  at  all,  our 
legislatures  should  not  legislate  so  much,  but  legislate 
constitutionally  and  with  definite  objects  in  view. 
Half  of  our  legislation  is  suppressive,  to  quiet  the 
demands  of  a  disturbed  people,  just  as  we  place  a 
pacifier  in  the  mouth  of  a  crying  babe;  and  statesmen 
find  it  easier  to  pacify  popular  unrest  than  to  correct 
misinformation,  and  educate  the  people  to  devotion 
and  attention  to  public  affairs.  Yet  second  thought, 
like  second  wind,  is  the  best,  and  when  men  under¬ 
stand  the  necessity  for  penalties  against  infringement 
of  law  to  maintain  order,  they  realize  the  remedy  is 
in  the  correction  of  faults  in  our  representative  gov¬ 
ernment,  and  not  in  the  overthrow  of  any  fundamen¬ 
tal  institution  of  liberty.  The  great  fabric  of  our 
common  law  does  not  depend  upon  legislation,  but 
upon  the  development  of  moral  thought  and  the  im¬ 
provement  of  trade  methods  by  custom,  so  that  laws 
are  made  by  conduct  and  are  in  reality  a  picture  of 
the  conscious,  progressive  thought  of  the  people.  It 
is  a  mistake  for  men  to  become  infatuated  with 
special  temporary  needs  of  men,  and  strive  to  fasten 
upon  all  future  generations  unbending,  unalterable 
rules  of  conduct  to  suit  their  own  fancy.  Millions  of 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


340, 

men  died  to  make  Napoleon’s  word  law  for  a  day, 
and  so  it  has  ever  been  when  mortal  man  attempts 
to  stamp  his  personal  mark  upon  the  complex  forms 
of  human  advancement.  We  must  permit  our  rulers 
to  use  their  best  judgment  to  obtain  for  all  men  the 
utmost  liberty  of  the  use  and  enjoyment  of  their 
personal  talent  and  property,  consistent  with  like 
privileges  and  rights  to  other  men,  and  not  chafe 
under  just  restrictions,  but  remember  that  respect  for 
those  who  undertake  the  highly  difficult  task  of  prop¬ 
erly  guiding  our  ship  of  state  is  the  highest  duty  of 
every  true  democratic  citizen  of  the  Republic. 

The  object  of  complex  civilization  is  to  preserve  the 
freedom  of  individual  development,  protecting  all 
citizens  and  groups  of  citizens  from  aggression,  but 
when  evil  is  imagined,  and  men  rage  up  and  down  the 
earth,  clamoring  for  that  which  society  cannot  be¬ 
stow,  how  great  is  the  embarrassment  of  rulers.  The 
true  expression  of  government  is  always  emphasized 
in  the  protection,  extension,  and  development  of 
industrial  combinations,  and  as  it  is  understood  and 
practised,  simply  seeks  to  maintain  the  authority  and 
power  of  fundamental,  unalienable  truths,  upon 
which  all  successful  rule  is  operative,  and  which  con¬ 
tain  the  vital  merit  of  all  equitable  justice  of  action 
and  reaction.  These  fundamental  tenets  of  order 
we  can  neither  enact  nor  repeal,  but  merely  empha¬ 
size  and  build  upon,  and  whenever  statutory  law  has 
performed  its  temporary  function  it  can  consistently 
be  repealed,  and  the  unwritten  law  remains  un¬ 
changed.  Permanent  injury  to  a  community  always 
arises  whenever  any  law  of  special  privilege  is  forced 


341 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 

even  upon  a  minority;  political  and  legislative  charity 
may  seem  a  most  evasive,  undefinable,  characteristic 
of  legislative  effort,  yet  that  is  what  we  need  most 
to-day,  with  our  boundless  wealth  and  incomparable 
industrial  opportunities,  to  keep  the  apex  of  cumula¬ 
tive  authority  in  the  hands  of  a  firm,  conscientious, 
central,  controlling  power,  unfettered  by  restrictive 
law,  and  unamenable  to  punishment  for  the  su¬ 
premacy  of  fundamental  constitutional  precepts  over 
statutory  enactments. 

This  new  school  of  Americanism  places  a  man 
above  the  dollar  and  declares  that  even  the  interpre¬ 
tation  and  enforcement  of  law  may  in  the  last  final 
analysis  rest  in  a  judicial  determination  of  equitable 
justice.  Instead  of  legally  crushing  a  bankrupt,  and 
scattering  his  assets,  good-will,  and  resources  to  the 
four  winds  of  heaven,  equity  steps  in  and  preserves 
property  rights  from  destruction,  and  no  matter  how 
often  unreasoning  popular  demands  have  overthrown 
this  Guardian  of  Righteousness,  like  eternal  Truth 
crushed  to  earth,  she  has  arisen  with  new  power  and 
new  wings  of  healing.  Popular  discontent  is  difficult 
to  arouse  and  more  difficult  to  suppress;  it  feeds  upon 
poverty,  inequality,  and  fancied  wrong.  But  the 
people  of  America  are  open  to  proof  and  conviction, 
and  if  a  reasonable  time  is  allowed  for  working  out 
and  justifying  courses  of  government  action  by  re¬ 
sults,  the  people  will  realize  that  checks  and  balances 
upon  their  power  exist  for  their  welfare,  as  bulwarks 
of  protection  against  conspiracy,  exploitation,  and 
intrigue;  for  that  plane  revolves  smoothest  which 
rests  upon  the  finest,  sharpest,  and  hardest  point  of 


342 


j  PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS  1, 

fulcrum,  so  that  friction  is  minimized  to  the  remotest 
degree,  and  the  actual  point  of  contact  is  incon¬ 
ceivably  small. 

If  we  are  to  have  certainty  in  law,  inconsistent  as 
it  may  seem,  we  cannot  limit  by  law  the  capacity  of 
normal  growth  and  expansion  of  legal  business,  nor 
permanently  establish  by  law  the  stability  of  t  trade, 
the  destruction  or  increase  of  competition,  and  the 
normal  currents  of  commerce.  .  Thoughts,  business 
plans,  experimental  knowledge,  and  financial  stand¬ 
ing  are  all  valuable  property  rights,  and  the  success 
or  failure  of  many  a  firm  depends  upon  whether  its 
financial  instability  can  be  positively  proved  or  dis¬ 
covered,  or  whether  its  stability  is  positively  be¬ 
yond  question  or  publicly  so  accepted.  Yet  law  may 
reduce  the  complexities  of  business  growths  to  less 
complex  forms,  and  indeed  it  appears  advisable  to 
standardize  immediately  all  individual  and  corporate 
conduct,  so  that  none  can  take  advantage  of  others 
because  of  temporary  local  legislation;  and  if  all  such 
local  restrictive  legislation  were  done  away  with, 
business  would  improve  and  reorganize  upon  better 
and  broader  systems  of  service.  Until  our  national 
legislative  bodies  realize  this  imperative  need,  and 
present  the  American  people  with  uniform  laws  over 
all  states,  concerning  matters  of  the  welfare  of  men 
in  business  affairs,  we  shall  continue  to  have  com¬ 
binations  in  restraint  of  trade,  confusion  in  business, 
and  political  and  social  unrest  in  our  interstate  mat¬ 
ters. 

The  common  law  of  a  united  people  must  be  so 
broad  as  to  be  a  rule  of  justice  to  all  men,  to  pro- 


343 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 

tect  every  individual  from  unfair  tactics,  dishonest 
methods,  and  aggressive  attacks  upon  personal  privi¬ 
lege.  Men  must  never  be  deprived  of  freedom  to  seek 
employment  wherever  they  desire,  for  these  personal 
privileges  are  as  free  as  the  air  and  sunshine.  There 
is  a  tyranny  of  an  individual,  the  tyranny  of  a  class, 
the  tyranny  of  a  multitude,  and  all  alike  are  destruc¬ 
tive  of  sober  and  moderative  freedom  of  thought  and 
action.  This  great  element  of  the  human  equation, 
which  we  may  term  equitable  charity,  is  too  broad  to 
fetter,  and  popular  intelligence  will  admit  that  glaring 
contrasts  represent  great  moral  evils,  and  no  matter 
how  discrimination  and  inequality  arise,  these  are  the 
signs  of  social  disease  and  error,  and  the  duty  of 
society  is  ever  to  raise  the  fallen,  and  bend  the  power¬ 
ful  to  the  yoke  of  respect  for  authority.  We  do  not 
permit  any  evasion  or  contempt  of  law,  but  we  seek 
uniformity,  equality,  and  equity  in  the  application, 
enactment,  and  distribution  of  legal  measures,  so 
that  the  regulation  of  all  business  shall  conform  to  set 
standards  and  rules  of  conduct,  defining  all  rights  of 
trade  dealings,  and  all  redress  for  individual  and  social 
protection,  to  prevent  repetitions  of  offences  against 
these  established  rules  of  conduct.  We  cannot  wipe 
out  institutions,  as  the  schoolboy  with  sponge  and 
water  cleans  his  slate,  for  there  are  certain  rights  of 
man  which  are  unchanging,  inalienable,  and  omni¬ 
operative,  recognized,  fundamental  axioms,  and  as 
two  and  two  always  make  four,  so  these  standards 
of  justice  never  change;  wisdom  and  authority  are 
always  the  same,  only  the  local  conditions  change, 
and  the  most  important  duty  of  legislative  bodies  is 


344 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 


to  protect  all  legitimate  industry,  trade,  and  com¬ 
merce  from  sudden  popular  whims  and  fancies. 
Leadership  must  be  capable,  understanding,  and 
beyond  corrupting  influences,  to  bestow  upon  the 
governed  such  righteousness  as  exalteth  a  nation; 
envy  must  be  discouraged;  obedience  must  be  taught; 
and  the  sound,  working,  old-fashioned  principles  of 
simple  attention  to  business  must  be  promulgated, 
to  make  the  paths  of  duty  straight  and  free  to  all. 

There  is  in  educated  man  a  most  remarkable  power 
of  adaptation  to  circumstances  which  well  befits  the 
highest  world  creation;  when  food  fails  on  land,  he 
seeks  the  sea;  when  the  mountains  deny  sustenance 
he  removes  to  the  valleys;  he  seeks  out  unknown  new 
destinies  in  the  arctic  cold,  as  well  as  in  tropical  forest, 
all  because  of  his  power  of  deliberate  thought  and 
reason.  Wherefore,  we  keep  free  this  human  equa¬ 
tion,  to  adapt  our  life  to  changing  circumstances, 
considering  that  every  earthly  gift  has  some  use, 
and  will  ultimately  meet  some  human  need,  as  na¬ 
tional  consciousness  awakens,  and  new  circum¬ 
stances  require  other  and  unforeseen  remedial  action. 
Why  should  the  vast  multitude  of  ordinary  men  and 
women  be  so  deeply  concerned  and  worried  over 
economic  crises  as  to  leave  the  haunts  of  honest  toil 
and  rack  their  minds  with  problems  of  statesmanship? 
Soften  every  organization  of  men  with  a  recognition 
of  the  eternal  principles  of  brotherhood,  love,  and 
friendship.  Meet  labor  on  its  own  ground  of  pro¬ 
posed  legislation  to  equalize  the  welfare  of  all;  meet 
controversy  with  patience,  good-will,  and  the  soft 
answer  which  turneth  away  wrath;  men  and  women 


345 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION 

will  work  and  toil  wonderfully,  if  work  and  toil  are 
popularly  meritorious,  as  we  say,  the  pervading  style 
of  activity,  and  why  can  we  not  educate  our  people  to 
regard  idleness  as  the  badge  of  disgrace?  Just  as 
children  are  the  sweet,  fragrant  flowers  of  human  life, 
so  the  health  and  welfare  of  all  the  people  are  fore¬ 
most  governmental  objectives,  and  it  takes  no  stretch 
of  our  powers  of  imagination  to  perceive  the  great 
future  beneficial  community  service  which  our  chil¬ 
dren  may  conceive  of,  and  put  into  operation,  to 
organize  and  preserve  a  modern,  altruistic  com¬ 
munity,  whose  beneficial  powers  will  be  operative 
perpetually  upon  all  the  people. 

In  every  world  crisis  democracy  [has  proved  true 
to  her  understanding  of  patriotism,  rendering  in¬ 
estimable  service  to  all  mankind,  and  commending  a 
quickened  responsibility  in  the  hearts  of  all  men,  to 
sacrifice  every  personal  desire,  to  secure  and  maintain 
fair  play,  justice,  and  equality  of  treatment,  with 
courage,  foresight,  and  unselfishness,  standing  for  the 
rights  of  men  everywhere.  Righteousness  breeds 
courage,  and  as  the  coward  imagines  dangers,  the 
righteous  man  adds  valor  to  strength,  and  stands  for 
the  right,  whatever  be  the  cost.  There  can  be  no 
neutral  ground  between  fair  play  and  aggression,  nor 
can  we  confuse  words  with  deeds  in  passing  final 
judgment  upon  the  fundamental  precepts  of  equit¬ 
able  conduct.  No  ideals  should  so  influence  our 
understanding  as  to  make  us  cease  to  regard  human 
affairs  in  the  light  of  actual  lives  of  living  men,  to 
know  and  study  every  habit,  custom,  and  ideal,  before 
we  judge  their  imperfections  or  hasten  to  bind  them 


346 


PATRIOTIC  ESSAYS 

with  permanent  bonds  of  restriction,  for  there  is  no 
man  so  low  to  whom  some  sense  of  honor  does  not 
appeal,  and  all  men  must  be  judged  upon  their 
merits,  as  men,  in  their  own  peculiar  environments. 
It  is  contrary  to  the  true  spirit  and  intent  of  democ¬ 
racy  to  judge  men  by  any  standards  of  popularity, 
style,  or  belief,  but  simply  by  the  qualities  of  mercy, 
honesty,  justice,  and  truth.  We  need  men  who  can 
organize  industry,  and  men  who  can  work  in  field 
and  factory;  we  need  men  who  can  uphold  authority, 
and  do  what  is  right,  though  the  heavens  threaten 
to  fall;  we  need  men  who  will  battle  in  the  trenches 
for  righteousness,  with  fearless  courage  and  unyield¬ 
ing  endurance,  until  the  recognition  of  the  rights  of 
man  retains  its  ascendency;  and  our  industries  and 
social  life  are  so  organized  that  the  equality  of  every 
man  before  the  law  is  a  recognized  reality,  making 
the  human  equation  part  and  parcel  of  the  govern¬ 
mental  consideration  of  this  Republic,  and  removing 
beyond  the  confines  of  possibility,  injustice,  cruelty, 
and  oppression  by  man  against  his  fellowmen. 

Popular  education  trains  our  youth  in  equality  to 
reverence  the  free  institutions  of  the  Nation  and  pre¬ 
serve  inviolate  its  traditions  and  precedents.  In¬ 
dividually  man  is  a  helpless  animal,  but  in  union  and 
under  government  he  becomes  the  sovereign  lord  of 
all  creation.  The  hope  of  Our  Democracy  rests  upon 
the  respect  for  the  union  of  men  under  authority,  as 
exemplified  in  Our  Government  under  Our  Constitu¬ 
tion,  which  preserves  to  all  individuals  every  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  self-development  and  individual  success. 
Not  by  might,  nor  by  power,  nor  by  upheavals  of 


THE  HUMAN  EQUATION  347 

social  relationship  shall  reformation  come,  but  ever 
by  the  evolution  of  co-operation,  system,  and  order 
in  society,  so  that,  with  patience,  humility,  and  obe¬ 
dience,  let  him  that  would  be  greatest  among  you, 
serve  the  best. 


FINIS 


THE  COUNTRY  LIFE  PRESS 
GARDEN  CITY,  N.  Y. 


Date  Due 

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lUL-  .  i 

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4  li¥tfh 

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PRINTED 

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